Stronger Than Before
by The Silent Bull
Summary: Raven and Chelsea are attending college in San Francisco and living together as roommates. Their friendship is stronger than ever after a difficult senior year at Bayside, but could it grow into something more?
1. Chapter 1

**That's So Raven - Stronger Than Before**

**Summary:** Raven and Chelsea are attending college in San Francisco and living together as roommates. Their friendship is stronger than ever after a difficult senior year at Bayside, but could it grow into something more?

**Notes: **This story deals with a relationship between two women. There is nothing graphic, but there is plenty of love and affection. I see that there haven't been very many new stories for this category. I hope there are still some readers out there.

**Stronger than Before**

_Chapter 1_

Raven Baxter pushed away from her desk and stretched her arms high in the air, a small squeal of contentment leaving her. She had been working on a new sketch and it was shaping up to be one of her best. Looking at her cellphone, she saw that it was nearly five-thirty and her best friend Chelsea Daniels would be home from class soon. It was their freshman year of college and the two shared a dorm together at San Francisco State University.

Their last year at Bayside High had been a difficult one concerning their friendship. As they both spent more time focusing on their passions—Raven with her fashion design and Chelsea with her environmentalism—they seemed to be growing apart. Much of Raven's free time had been spent interning for the world famous fashion designer Donna Cabonna and Chelsea was deep into her activism. It seemed that whenever they did find time for one another they clashed.

First it had been when Chelsea accused her of being self-absorbed and then when Chelsea and her school group had protested Raven's design, for which Donna Cabonna had intended to use chinchilla fur. Finally, there was the mother-daughter retreat that Chelsea and her mom had invited Raven on. Raven only went because she had a vision of a party and a cute guy, but it had caused yet another argument between the two. They always managed to make up, but the arguing made them both realize that their longstanding friendship was in jeopardy if they didn't do something about their miscommunication.

In the end, they both realized they didn't want to lose the greatest friendship either of them had ever known. Raven started taking the time to pay more attention to Chelsea and the things that were important to her and Chelsea decided that she needed to be more understanding of the position Raven was in when it came to working for Donna Cabonna and as a fashion designer in general. After making those declarations to one another they grew closer than ever. Although they both kept busy with their respective activities and preparing for college, every moment of their free time was spent together and they cherished it more than ever.

Raven slipped her blue and black pumps back on before standing from her desk. It was Friday and she and Chelsea had plans for dinner and a movie just as soon as Chelsea's final class of the day was over. Making her way into the bathroom, she checked her hair and clothes and applied more lip gloss.

She and Chelsea had stuck together like glue when they arrived at college. Both girls' parents had warned them of the dangers of living on campus, especially Raven's dad, Victor, but she knew he was being overprotective since he would no longer be close by. He and her younger brother, Cory, had moved to Washington, D.C. shortly after she graduated from high school where he took a job as personal chef to the President of the United States.

The two friends kept each other in check when it came to making sure cell phones were charged and always letting the other know what their plans for the day were. They never let each other walk through campus at night alone, if it could be avoided. There were times when it simply couldn't be helped, but they always tried their best to keep each other safe.

Raven had just finished primping as she heard the door to their room open. As she made her way into the main living area, she saw Chelsea closing the door and dropping her book bag against the wall.

"Hi, Honey," Raven said playfully as she approached her friend, giving her a kiss on the cheek. They hugged and kissed on the cheek in the morning before they went their separate ways and again when they met back up. Their friends always teased that they acted like some sort of platonic married couple. "How was your day?"

"Exhausting," Chelsea said as she hugged Raven, resting her head on her friends shoulder. "My biology professor decided to assign a research paper on top of the three other assignments we already have to do. Who knew becoming an environmental biologist would be so hard?"

"Aw, poor baby," Raven cooed as she ran a soothing hand up and down her friends back. "Well, try not to think about it, Chels. Today is Friday and we both need to just relax. Why don't you rest for a few minutes before we head out to dinner?" she suggested.

"Good idea," Chelsea said as she pulled away from Raven. At the last minute she dove back in for a deep whiff of Raven's neck, causing her to giggle. "You smell good, Rae. How come I've never smelled that scent on you before?" she asked before walking over to Raven's bed and plopping down.

"Because, I just got it today!" Raven said excitedly as she began digging through her purse. "Miss Donna is releasing a new fragrance and she gave me a test bottle," she explained as she handed the clear glass bottle over to Chelsea for inspection. The liquid inside was a light purple color and the fancy initials D.C. were stamped on the front. "And Chels, you'll be happy to know that no animals were harmed in the making of this fragrance," Raven said proudly. She smiled as Chelsea lay back on her bed, her long red hair fanned out against the pillows. She insisted that Raven's bed was somehow more comfortable than her own.

Chelsea gave a delighted smile at the news and looked at her friend fondly. Raven had really been making a strong attempt at understanding why she cared about the environment so much and it wasn't just something she did to placate Chelsea like it had been at times in the past. Whenever she designed a new piece of clothing, she always considered the alternatives when it came to using real fur and anything that would cause harm to another living being, if it could be helped.

Chelsea's mind wandered back to the time she protested what was to be Raven's very first design made by Donna Cabonna. A part of her still felt guilty about that. In the end, she had gotten her way and stopped Donna Cabonna from designing the piece, but she felt horrible about the fact that she had stopped her friend's dream from being realized. Sometime later, in an attempt to show Raven that she had made the right decision, and perhaps to ease her own guilt, she had invited Raven with her to go and see an actual chinchilla in person. She knew her friend wasn't much of an animal person, but one look at the chubby little creature with the large ears and she was in love.

"So, what are you in the mood for?" Raven asked, pulling Chelsea out of her thoughts.

"I've been craving veggie lasagna all day," she said as she stood from the bed, watching as Raven began putting her designs away.

Their dorm was just as small as everyone else's, but with Raven's decorating abilities, she had managed to make the space feel more like a studio apartment. There was an extra-long desk pushed up against one wall and a lamp sat in the middle, separating it into designated space for each of them to use. Their beds were located on one side of the room and only a nightstand separated them. From what she had seen in other dorms, most roommates wanted to separate the space as much as possible, but she and Rae shared everything and they were as close as two friends could be, so there was no fight for space. They truly lived in cohesion.

One of the best things about their dormitory was the private bathroom. It was small, but it got the job done. They had managed to be assigned to live in one of the newer buildings and a private bathroom as opposed to a communal bathroom was definitely a perk. Their space was decorated brightly, much like Raven's old bedroom. She let Raven take full control, having no intentions of standing in the way of her friend's creativity and, to her surprise she had done some of the decorating with Chelsea in mind. There were splashes of chartreuse here and there and a few patterns that Raven knew she liked. She had even designated a few spots around the room for some of Chelsea's plants.

"Ready?" Raven asked as she grabbed her purse.

"Ready," Chelsea smiled.

* * *

It was a nice evening and the restaurant they chose was close enough that they could walk.

"So, why haven't I heard any more about that cute guy from you English class?" Chelsea asked, linking her arm through Raven's.

"Girl, I've been so busy with class and work that I don't even have time to think about him," Raven said.

"What? Raven Baxter doesn't have time to think about a guy?" Chelsea teased, bumping Raven's shoulder with her own. She had never seen anyone more boy crazy than Raven.

"Girl, if I fall in these heels, I'm takin' you down with me," Raven threatened as she nearly lost her balance, hanging on to Chelsea's arm more tightly.

"Seriously, Rae, it's not like you to dis a cute guy," Chelsea said.

"I didn't dis him," Raven explained. "He seems cool, but…well…I've kinda been talking to Devon again lately."

"What?! And you didn't tell me?" Chelsea said surprised, maybe even a little hurt.

Devon Carter was Raven's high school sweetheart until he moved away to Seattle with his family. At the time, she didn't think she would ever love another boy as much as she did Devon, but the heartache eventually faded and she had been able to date other guys. It seemed that she and Devon always found their way back to each other though.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I didn't want to make a big deal of it. He's been calling a couple of times a week."

"And? Are you two getting back together?"

"I think he wants to and that'd be great…more than great, but Chels, how is it going to be any easier or better now than it was in high school?" Raven asked somewhat dejected.

Chelsea wasn't sure what to say in order to help her friend and simply squeezed her arm in comfort.

They finally made it to the restaurant a few minutes later and were quickly seated in a booth with menus. It was a small Italian place called _Antonio's_ and it quickly proved to be one of the best places to eat on campus.

"So, what are you gonna have, Rae?" Chelsea asked as she looked through the menu. The spinach lasagna was calling her name.

"Maybe I'll get lasagna, too, with meat," she smiled. Chelsea smirked in return.

"Listen, Rae. Maybe things _would_ be easier for you and Devon now. We aren't in high school anymore and that means we can come and go as we please. If you and Devon want to make plans to visit each other then there's no one stopping you," Chelsea said.

"I guess you're right, Chels…" Raven trailed off as she was pulled into a vision.

Chelsea was all too familiar with that look and waited eagerly for Raven's vision to end. "What'd you see, Rae?"

Raven let out a high pitched squeal as she grabbed Chelsea's hand excitedly. "Chels, it looks like Eddie's gonna be paying us a visit sometime soon!"

"Really?" Chelsea beamed, just as excited.

Eddie Thomas made up the third part of the best friendship that ever existed. Raven, Chelsea and Eddie had been best friends since they were little kids and their bond had remained until this day. They got in trouble together, laughed, cried, and anything else the best of friends could get into. While Raven and Chelsea chose to remain in San Francisco, Eddie had decided to attend school in New York for music production. It was hard to break up the Three Amigos, but they always wanted what was best for each other even if it meant saying goodbye.

"Chels, do you realize we haven't seen Eddie in months?" Raven said.

"I know. Not since school started." It was strange considering they were used to seeing each other every day. "So, when is it gonna happen, Rae?"

"I'm not sure. I saw the door to our room open and there he was all smiles."

"Oh, I can't wait. Should we call him?" Chelsea asked.

"Nah. Let's keep it a surprise," Raven said smiling.

Their orders came just then and the two dug into their meals.

"Rae, this is so good! You have to try it."

Raven scrunched up her face as Chelsea held out a forkful of the spinach lasagna. "Ew, ew, ew…"she whined as she reluctantly opened her mouth to let Chelsea feed her. "…mmmmm…Chels, this _is_ good."

"Told ya," the redhead said as she took another healthy bite. The rest of the meal was spent with Chelsea fending off Raven from eating her lasagna.

"Rae, would you mind if we just skipped the movie and headed back to the dorm?"

"Sure, Chels. Are you okay?" Raven asked as she finished signing for their meal.

"Yeah. It's just been a long week."

* * *

When they got back to the dorm, the girls quickly changed into pajamas and decided that watching a movie in their room would do just as well as seeing something at the theater.

Raven returned from the bathroom to find that Chelsea had already started a movie and was sprawled out across her bed. "Chels, when are you gonna stop hogging my bed?" Raven said as she climbed in beside her friend. They both lay propped against Raven's fluffy pillows.

"I don't know what it is, Rae. Your bed is so comfy," Chelsea said as she snuggle down deeper into the pillows, her feet rubbing against the soft blanket.

"You do realize that this is only a twin bed don't you?" Raven asked. She watched as the redhead pouted and made to go lay on her own bed. Raven grabbed her arm to keep her where she was. "Come on, biscuit head, let's watch the movie," she sighed. Chelsea's pout quickly turned into a grin as they got comfortable.

* * *

Later that night, Chelsea awoke to find herself curled up behind Raven. Lifting her head from the pillow, she squinted against the bright light of the television. They had made it through two and half movies before sleep took over. Rising carefully, so as not to wake Raven, she turned off the television and put away the jellybeans they had been munching on. Chelsea looked back and forth between her bed and her warm spot on Raven's bed. She knew she needed to give her friend her space, but her own bed reminded her of a prison cot at the moment.

"Chels?" said Raven's sleepy voice. "Where are you?"

"Just turning off the TV," she responded.

"Well, hurry. It's cold."

Chelsea smiled as her decision was made for her. They had been sleeping on top of Raven's blankets and now there was a chill in the air. She quickly grabbed the extra blanket she kept at the foot of her own bed and spread it out over her friend before climbing in beside her.

"Night, Chels."

"Night, Rae."


	2. Chapter 2

**Stronger Than Before**

_Chapter 2_

The weekend passed uneventfully as both girls caught up on their school work. Chelsea was able to get a strong head start on her biology paper and Raven finished an English paper, which left her some free time to work on her designs. The latest _Boyz 'N Motion_ CD was playing in the background.

"You getting hungry, Chels?" Raven asked as she stood from the desk.

"I am, but I'm on a roll here," Chelsea said as she typed away on her laptop.

Raven went to the window that looked out over part of the campus, watching as groups of people walked across the grounds. "Chels, do you realize that we've only been to two parties since we got here? I think we might be turning into old maids."

"Well, Rae, you know you've got to keep your grades up if you want to keep your internship with Donna Cabonna and if we stopped to go to every party they threw on this campus then I'd never get my work done," Chelsea said.

"I know and I want to do well, but I also want to have fun while we're here," Raven said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Chelsea agreed as she finally turned away from her computer. "Tell you what. Next party you hear about that sounds cool, we'll go," she smiled.

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

* * *

The next morning was business as usual. Chelsea's first class started at nine-thirty and Raven had to be at work by ten.

"How do I look?" Chelsea asked as she ran her fingers through her long, thick red hair.

"Absolutely beautiful as usual," Raven complimented. "Perfect makeup…perfect hair. I think you just might be the best dressed environmental biologist that ever existed, Chels."

"Well, it certainly doesn't hurt that my best friend is a fashion designer," she smiled.

"Teeth check." Raven and Chelsea grinned at each other. "Good to go, girl. No lipstick. No food."

They gathered bags and purses and were out the door. Chelsea walked Raven to her car and the two hugged before parting ways. "Have a great day, Rae."

"You too, Chels. Love you!" Raven smiled.

"Love you back!"

* * *

Later that afternoon, Chelsea was sitting in the cafeteria at the student union with a salad and a few books spread around her table.

"Chelsea."

She looked up and was immediately shocked. "Ben!" Chelsea stood up and pulled him into a tight hug. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Ben Smith was one of the few guys she'd had a major crush on in high school. Everything was perfect until he moved away to Las Vegas with his parents. She and Rae often joked that they had lost their loves the same way.

"I decided to transfer here from Vegas," he explained simply.

"How did you find me?" Chelsea asked.

Ben smiled. "I had a vision."

She returned his smile. It was strange having a best friend and a boyfriend who were both psychic.

"I was hoping maybe we could hang out…maybe give it another try," he said.

"I think I'd like that," Chelsea smiled. Ben sat with her for a few minutes and then walked her to class. They exchanged numbers and he left with the promise of calling so they could catch up. She couldn't wait to tell Raven.

* * *

Raven sat in her math class desperate for it to be over with. It had been a long day and all she wanted to do was go home and relax. Donna Cabonna had been in a bad mood when she arrived at work and naturally that meant she was going to take it out on Raven. She truly admired the things Donna had accomplished in her career, but whoever said that it was disappointing to meet your idols was right.

The professor finally wrapped up and everyone began gathering their things. Raven wondered if Chelsea felt like going to the mall. A good shopping trip always cheered her up after a long day.

"Chels, are you home?" Raven asked once she finally made it back to the dorm.

"In here, Rae!" Chelsea called from the bathroom.

"I was thinking maybe we could go to the mall. It's been a crazy day," the fashionista said. She looked up as her friend came out of the bathroom dressed in a completely different outfit from what she had on that morning.

"Rae, you won't believe who I ran into today," Chelsea said excitedly as she grabbed Raven's hands.

"Who?" Raven said, curious.

"Ben! He transferred here from Vegas."

"What?! Chels, that's great!" Raven said as she hugged her friend.

"He's taking me to dinner tonight. He should be here any minute."

Raven watched as Chelsea finished getting ready for her date. It looked like she'd be going to the mall alone, but she was happy for her friend. She knew how much Chelsea cared about Ben and how much it hurt her when he had to move away. She was all too familiar with how hard that could be.

"How do I look?" Chelsea asked.

"You look hot," Raven said smiling. "I know you've missed him, but you better behave yourself, girl," she warned jokingly.

"Rae! What do you take me for?" Chelsea laughed as she lightly smacked her friend on the shoulder.

"I'm just sayin'," Raven shrugged. "Ben is really cute. It might be hard to resist."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Chelsea checked her face in one of the many mirrors hanging around the room and answered it.

"Wow, Chelsea, you look beautiful," Ben said as his eyes took her in.

"Hey, Ben," Raven said with a smile as he finally looked past Chelsea.

"Raven," he smiled. He moved into the room to give her a friendly hug.

Chelsea's smile faded as the hug seemed to go on and on before she realized that Raven and Ben had been pulled into a vision. They broke apart suddenly. "What'd you guys see?" she asked.

"It looked like a party," Ben said.

"Yeah and some guys were getting a little loud," Raven added. "It was blurry."

"It didn't seem like anything, too, serious though."

"I hope not," Chelsea said. "Come on, Ben. We'd better get going," she smiled.

"Ben," Raven said in a mock serious voice as she walked them to the door, arms folded across her chest. "I expect you to have this young lady back by a reasonable time and to walk her to the door."

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled.

Chelsea smiled at her friend's antics and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing Ben's hand. "See you later, Rae."

* * *

A few more weeks passed and things were going great between Chelsea and Ben. It was as if they had never been apart at all. Most of her free time was spent with him and although Raven was starting to miss her friend, she was happy for her. Donna Cabonna had started giving her more responsibilities anyway and that meant that she stayed fairly busy. Still, she missed the times when she and Chelsea took a day to themselves to simply relax and have fun.

In Chelsea's absence, Raven at least had Devon to talk to occasionally. They talked about everything and nothing and they had even started planning a visit. She called Eddie a few times, but he was a hard guy to catch up with these days. He had landed his own internship at a radio station.

"I need to make more friends," Raven muttered to herself as she walked across campus. It was a beautiful day, but she barely noticed. Truth be told, she was starting to feel a little lonely. When they were in grade school, rarely a day went by where she didn't see Chelsea and Eddie. She wasn't used to having neither of them to talk to. As she entered the student union, she decided to grab something easy for lunch and head back to her room before her final class.

* * *

It was nearly four when Chelsea entered her building. She was supposed to meet Ben later, but she was thinking about calling and cancelling. They were spending nearly every moment they could together ever since he transferred and she loved it, but today she just wanted to relax for a change and maybe just hang with Raven. She missed her best friend and between both of their busy schedules they hadn't seen much of each other in the last month.

When she finally arrived at their room, she was surprised to find Raven lying on top of her blankets fast asleep. Her heels were kicked off, but she was still dressed in her clothes and Chelsea knew that Raven _never_ slept in her clothes.

"Rae?" she called softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Sweetie, wake up." Chelsea touched Raven's face to find that she was pretty warm. Raven rarely got sick and Chelsea found herself slightly panicking. "Raven," she called a little louder this time and the dark haired girl finally opened her eyes.

"Chels? What time is it?" Raven said, sounding exhausted.

"It's a little after four," Chelsea said. She watched as her friend rolled over onto her back and brought a hand up to her face.

"Oh, snap," she sighed. "I'm late for my class." Using Chelsea's arm, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

"Rae, what are you doing?" Chelsea said, trying to prevent her from getting up.

"I gotta get to class."

"No way! You're sick." She felt Raven's face and forehead again. "In case you hadn't noticed, Rae, you were sleeping in your clothes."

She looked down at herself. "Just great. Now my blouse is all wrinkly," the fashionista complained.

Chelsea smirked at her friend. "Well, I think you've got more important things to worry about, missy. How do you feel?"

"Well, I do have a headache and I just feel really tired," Raven answered.

"Come on," Chelsea said, finally letting her up. "You go change into your PJs and get comfortable. I'll get you some aspirin."

Raven did as she was told and pulled her blankets back. She couldn't believe she was going to bed when it was still daylight out. She hadn't been to bed this early since she went to visit her cousins on their farm a couple of years ago.

"Okay, take these and I'm gonna call Ben and cancel for tonight," Chelsea said as she flipped open her cellphone.

"What? Chels, no. You don't need to cancel. All you're going to be doing is watching me sleep," Raven said.

"Rae, there is no way I'm going to leave you when you're sick." The call had already been placed and the phone was up to her ear.

Raven lay down after taking the aspirin and listened as her friend chatted with Ben. She felt a little chilly and pulled the covers tighter to her chin.

"You cold?" Chelsea asked as she hung up the phone.

"A little."

"Scooch over," Chelsea said as she slipped out of her shoes and made her way over to Raven's bed. She climbed on top of the covers and snuggled up close, her chin resting on top of Raven's head.

"You just want to lie in my comfy bed," Raven joked softly as her eyes drifted closed.

"You got me," Chelsea smiled as she held her friend tighter.

* * *

Raven felt much better the next day, but Chelsea continued to be a mother hen, even going so far as to cancel with Ben again and insisting that Raven take another day off from class and work. Raven hated the idea of getting even further behind in her schoolwork, but had to admit that it was nice to have a break. Chelsea had even ditched two of her classes to spend more time with Raven.

They lounged in their own separate beds watching television and chatting about any and everything.

"So, how are things with Ben?" Raven asked with a smile.

"He's such a sweet guy, Rae. I don't think I could ask for anyone better."

"Aw. I'm so happy for you, Chels."

"What about you? How's Devon?" Chelsea asked.

"We've been talking, trying to plan a visit," Raven said.

Usually, whenever Raven talked about Devon, her eyes glazed over and her voice went soft, but that last few times she mentioned him, Chelsea didn't notice any of that. "Rae, are you sure everything is okay with you two?"

Raven hesitated before answering. "Yeah, everything is okay. I guess I'm just feeling a little lonely. It seems like everything is on hold. I'm afraid to date anyone else because I don't want to ruin anything I have with Devon, but I'm questioning if Devon and I actually have anything anymore."

Chelsea felt bad that she hadn't been paying closer attention to her friend. She was out with Ben almost every night since he transferred and Rae was all alone. Climbing from her bed, she went over to sit next to Raven and put her arm around her. "I'm sorry, Rae."

"Chels, it's not your fault. I've been feeling this way for a while now. I still care about Devon, but I'm just not sure if I'm in love with him anymore," Raven explained.

"Well, maybe when he finally visits, you can be sure once and for all," Chelsea said. "You guys probably just need to talk face to face."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Rae said as she laid her head on the redhead's shoulder. "You always make me feel better, Chels."

"That's my job!" she smiled. "Listen, Rae," Chelsea said, changing the subject. "You know, next weekend is a three day weekend and the nature club is planning a camping trip…and I was hoping that maybe you would go with me," she asked tentatively. She knew her friend was not the outdoors type.

"Chels, you do remember what happened the last time I went camping with you right?" Raven had almost ruined the entire trip and their friendship by bringing a generator and a million other things that defeated the purpose of camping.

"Yeah, but Rae, it only served to make us closer in the end." She saw the doubtful look on Raven's face and frowned. "It's okay. You don't have to go. I just thought I'd ask," Chelsea said as she turned her attention back to the TV screen.

Raven felt bad now that her friend was disappointed. "Wouldn't you rather go with Ben anyway?" she asked.

"Well, Ben has to go visit his family that weekend, but that's not why I asked you. I just wanted to spend some time with you," she said.

Raven thought about all of the times she had dragged Chelsea to the mall and the beauty salon. She never complained and it was rare that she asked Raven to do something outdoorsy since she knew she hated it. One last look at the pout on her usually chipper friend's face and her decision was made. "Okay, I'll go." She smiled as Chelsea's dark brown eyes went wide with excitement.

"Really?! Oh, my gosh, Rae. We're gonna have so much fun!" she said, tackling the dark haired girl with a hug.

Chelsea's excitement was enough to let Raven know that she had made the right decision.


	3. Chapter 3

**Stronger Than Before**

Chapter 3

The rest of the week went by quickly. Chelsea promised Raven a shopping trip to prepare for camping, just as long as she didn't go overboard like last time. She and Ben were having lunch at the food court where Raven was supposed to be meeting them soon.

"So, is Raven excited about the camping trip?" Ben asked his girlfriend, a smile lighting her face at the mention of her best friend.

"I hope so. I know she's only going for me," Chelsea said as she took a sip of her lemonade.

"And have you told her about the tent yet?" he smiled.

Chelsea laughed. Raven thought they were going to be roughing it under the stars, but they would actually have tents this time. "It's gonna be a surprise…and here she comes. Don't say anything," Chelsea said, looking past Ben.

"Hey, guys!" Raven said happily as she took a seat next to Chelsea. There was a bit of commotion as she situated a few shopping bags. Once that was finished, she smiled at her friend and gave her a kiss on the temple.

"Rae, what is all this? You were supposed to wait for me."

"Girl, you know I can't pass up a sale and there were just so many of them as I was walking through the mall. Believe me; we have plenty more shopping to do. Oh and Chels," Raven said grinning, "I got something for you." Digging noisily through her bags, she pulled out a chartreuse fanny pack.

"Rae! Oh my god! Fanny packs went out in the 90s," Chelsea laughed as she accepted the gift.

Raven pulled out another one except it was hot pink. "We're bringin' 'em back, girl!" She took a sip of Chelsea's lemonade and then proceeded to show her what else she bought.

Ben watched with a smile on his face as the two friends laughed and chatted excitedly. He knew all about the greatest friendship that ever existed. Chelsea had told him plenty of stories about Raven and Eddie, but mostly Raven. It was obvious they cared about each other a great deal and he was glad that his girlfriend had such a devoted best friend.

"…bra and panties."

"Whoa! That's my cue to leave," Ben joked as the girl talk truly began. Raven playfully slapped at his hand that was resting on the table and he was almost immediately pulled into a vision.

"Ben, did you just have a vision?" Chelsea asked once he had taken a deep breath.

"…yeah…but…I couldn't really make it out," he said, his brow furrowed.

"You know, I think I'm gonna start getting jealous if you two keep having visions every time you touch," Chelsea said as she leaned back in her seat with a pout, arms folded over her chest. "It's like psychic sex or something!"

Raven let out a deep belly laugh and Chelsea couldn't help but join her. So absorbed in their fun, neither of them noticed that Ben hadn't joined in the laughter. He looked back and forth between the two girls, his breathing slightly shallow, wondering if his vision could have been real.

Just then, Raven gasped, pointing at a sign across the food court. "Chels, look! A shoe sale!" Gathering her bags, she began making her way over.

"Rae, I'll meet you there in a few minutes," Chelsea called after her friend. "Don't go anywhere else without me!"

"Can't promise that!" Raven yelled over her shoulder.

Turning her attention back to Ben, Chelsea's smile faded a little as she saw the look on his face. He looked a little pale. "You okay?" she asked, grabbing his hand.

Ben shook himself from his thoughts and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm good," he said as he stood up from the table, pulling her with him. "I'm gonna get going. You two have fun shopping…I love you."

Chelsea smiled as he pulled her into a soft yet lingering kiss. "I love you, too," she said shyly.

Ben watched for a minute as she hurried away to join Raven. There was no way his vision could be true. Chelsea just wasn't the type to tell him she loved him if she didn't mean it. Usually, when he had a vision, it was trying to change it that actually made the vision come true. This time, he decided that maybe ignoring it would have the opposite effect. With one last look at the store Raven and Chelsea had disappeared into, Ben grabbed his bag and headed back to campus.

* * *

"How far did you say it was?" Raven asked tiredly as she looked out the window of the old school bus. It was bright and early on a Saturday and there were about fifteen people total headed to the camp grounds.

"'Bout an hour," Chelsea said from her spot next to Raven. Her eyes didn't leave the book she was reading. There were plenty of empty seats and most of the others chose to take advantage of the space, but the two best friends chose to share a seat. "Why don't you go back to sleep, Rae? I'll wake you when we get there."

"You don't have to tell me twice," she said with a yawn.

Chelsea smiled when she felt Raven's head rest against her shoulder. She returned the gesture and went back to her reading.

* * *

"Chels, I can't believe you didn't tell me there would be tents!" Raven said ecstatically as she looked around at all of the others students setting up camp. With the exception of the group advisor, everyone was doubled up and, naturally, that meant she and Chelsea would be sharing.

"I knew you'd be happy," the redhead said as she finished with the setup. She watched as Raven ducked inside with the sleeping bags, occasionally crawling out to get more of their gear. Chelsea waited patiently while their temporary dwelling was arranged. The designer in Raven couldn't resist organizing a space even if it was a just a tent.

"Okay, all set," Raven said as she crawled out. "Now what?" She was determined to get the camping thing right this time.

Chelsea smiled as her friend looked around excitedly. Raven was dressed in a pair of black fatigues that stopped just below the knee and a matching vest with a black, long sleeve, V-neck t-shirt underneath. Miraculously, she had found some hiking boots—which Chelsea had to admit looked great—that still managed to have a two inch heel on them. Her dark curls were swept up into a ponytail and the sun glinted off of the large, silver, hoop earrings she wore. The bright pink fanny pack sat on her hip in stark contrast to the rest of the outfit. Chelsea's own fanny pack was securely in place as well, the chartreuse standing out against the dark green of her cargo pants. A black t-shirt pulled over a long sleeved white one and black hiking boots completed the outfit.

"Now, we do whatever we want," Chelsea said. Although they would need to help out with certain chores, this camping trip wouldn't be nearly as structured as the ones in high school were. "We could help cook, gather wood, go for a walk…anything really just as long as we let the advisor know where we're going."

"We aren't going to be eating leaves or something, are we?" Raven asked with a look of concern.

Chelsea laughed as they made their way to the center of camp where everyone else was. "No, Rae. There are plenty of normal things to eat when you go camping. You'll see," she said smugly, walking off to talk to the advisor.

Raven looked at her suspiciously. "Girl, if I end up having to hunt my own dinner…"

* * *

The rest of the day passed pleasantly enough. Chelsea and Raven helped collect firewood although Chelsea did most of the collecting while Raven just pointed out the pieces she saw, occasionally picking one up between two fingers and making sure to keep it far away from her body. At one point, she picked a log up only to drop it immediately and scream when she saw that a colony of ants had been living underneath.

When they arrived back at camp, there were three fires going and Raven was pleasantly surprised at the delicious aroma wafting through the air.

"See, Rae. Real food," Chelsea said as she sat her load of wood down and brushed herself off. There was a Dutch oven hanging over one of the fires that contained potatoes and other root vegetables. The second fire contained meat and vegetable shish kabobs. A rack stood above the third fire where various fruits were grilling for dessert.

"Wow, Chels, this is amazing," Raven said as she looked around.

"See, I knew you'd like camping if you really gave it a chance," Chelsea said as she put an arm around her friend.

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had been fed, Chelsea led Raven a short distance away from camp so they could get a better view of the stars.

"It's so beautiful," Raven said, her face tilted toward the sky as she leaned back against a tree.

"I'm glad you came with me, Rae," Chelsea said.

Raven looked at her friend and smiled. "Me too."

They watched a while longer before heading back to camp.

* * *

The next day, Chelsea convinced Raven to go on a hike with her. She was starting to sweat as she followed the redhead up the path. It figured she would pick one with an incline. She only half listened as Chelsea pointed out different things along the way. Raven had a strange feeling ever since she woke up that morning. It was as if something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what.

"Rae, hurry up!" Chelsea said excitedly. "There's a great view of the river from up here."

"I'm comin', I'm comin'," Raven grumbled as she trudged up the path. The ledge was getting steeper and the ominous feeling was getting stronger. She moved to the inside of the path as she approached Chelsea. Suddenly, she was pulled into a vision.

_"__Rae, look at how beautiful the water is!" Chelsea said as she moved a little closer to the edge of the steep path. She looked up and smiled. Suddenly, a look of sheer terror came over her face. Her foot slipped and she began to fall backwards. "Raven!"_

Raven took a deep breath as her vision ended. "Chelsea!"

Chelsea inched slightly closer to the edge to get a better view of the water when she heard Raven scream her name. She turned so abruptly at the sound that she began losing her balance. Then she felt herself being yanked by the arm in the opposite direction.

Raven pulled Chelsea so hard and so fast that they both crashed to the ground with a loud thud. "Chels, are you okay?" Raven asked frantically as she got to her knees, her hands searching for any signs of injury to her friend.

"I'm okay," Chelsea said as she sat up. She was suddenly hit with the force of Raven's arms squeezing her in a breathtaking hug. "Rae, I'm okay. I just slipped a little," she smiled. It was only when she felt Raven shaking that she realized how frightened her friend truly was. "Raven, it's okay…I'm okay. I promise," she said, returning the hug. It was a long moment before Raven finally pulled away and when she did, Chelsea saw that she was crying.

"Chels, I had a vision that you fell off the edge and I didn't reach you in time," Raven explained as she tried to control her tears.

Chelsea's heart beat faster with the knowledge of what almost happened. All she could do was pull Raven into another hug. They sat there for nearly twenty minutes, taking comfort in one another's presence.

* * *

Chelsea and Raven decided to keep the incident to themselves. It was over now and neither of them felt that the others needed to know.

Raven had remained quiet for the rest of the day, no matter how much Chelsea tried to cheer her up. She had even retreated to their tent for a while, explaining that she felt drained and was in need of a nap. When dinner finally rolled around, Chelsea woke Raven and brought a plate to their tent where they ate together quietly.

It was the final night of their camping trip and everyone had gathered around the fire to chat and roast marshmallows. If anyone noticed how subdued the two friends were, they didn't mention it.

Raven stood holding a marshmallow close to the fire, but she really had no appetite for it. After giving the roasted treat to someone else, she turned to face her friend. "Chels, I'm gonna go to our spot, okay?" she said softly, referring to where Chelsea took her to look at the stars the previous night.

Chelsea looked up from her seat. "I'll go with you," she offered. Raven nodded and held out a hand to help her up. They continued holding hands as they walked the short distance, fingers intertwined. The events of the day scared them and they had barely left each other's side.

When they finally reached the spot, Raven sighed deeply and tilted her face up to the sky, but her eyes remained closed.

"Rae, talk to me," Chelsea said as she moved to stand in front of her.

"I can't stop thinking about it," she said softly, finally meeting her friend's eyes.

"I'm right here," Chelsea said, moving even closer. She grabbed Raven's hands and placed them on her face. "You'll never get rid of me," she joked, desperate for her friend to cheer up.

"I would never want to," Raven said as a few tears trailed down her cheeks.

Chelsea's own eyes welled with tears. She used her thumbs to gently brush away Raven's and pulled her into a hug.

"I don't think I've ever had such a scary vision in my life," Raven said, sniffling.

"Oh, come on, Rae." Chelsea pulled back slightly to look into Raven's eyes. "What about that time you saw one of us getting the chair in Lawler's class?"

The joke had the desired effect and Chelsea was relieved as her friend finally smiled brightly. "Chels, I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you. I don't think I could ask for a better friend," Raven said sincerely.

"Well, you'll never have to because I'm right here. You saved me," she said softly, resting her forehead against Raven's.

Both girls leaned in for what was intended to be a light, comforting kiss, but as lips met and lingered it became something more. Their lips parted briefly and their eyes remained closed as they both leaned in to share another soft kiss. When they finally pulled apart, they looked at each, neither sure of what to say. It was Raven who eventually spoke first.

"Come on," she said gently tugging on Chelsea's hand. "We should get back before someone starts to worry."

Neither girl spoke on the way back to camp, both trying to figure out what had just taken place, both wondering if the other's heart was beating as fast as hers was.

They prepared for bed in their tent silently. Raven occasionally glanced at Chelsea, wondering what she was thinking, not realizing that Chelsea had been doing the same. "_It was just a kiss_," she thought to herself. They kissed all the time. Affection was nothing new for them.

She watched as Chelsea turned off the small lantern that illuminated the tent. They usually slept snuggled together to ward off the night's chill, but now Raven found herself wondering if the contact would be awkward.

"_It was _just_ a kiss_," she thought more forcefully. Deciding that she wasn't going to let it change anything she snuggled up behind Chelsea and placed her arm around the girl's waist, her face buried in thick red hair. A few moments passed and she let out a silent sigh of relief as she felt Chelsea's hand cover her own. "Night, Chels," she said softly.

"Night, Rae."

* * *

The next morning, everyone tiredly loaded their gear onto the bus and found a seat for the ride back. Raven picked a seat and slid over to the window to make room for Chelsea only to find that she had settled into the seat across from her.

"I'm gonna sit over here so I can stretch out a bit, Rae," she explained with a small smile.

Raven returned the smile and spent the rest of the trip trying to convince herself that it didn't mean anything.

* * *

When they finally arrived back at the campus, it was still pretty early. Raven sat down on the bed tiredly after lugging her gear up to their room. She looked over at Chelsea who had already started unpacking.

"Hey, Chels, want to go get something to eat? We can even get dessert in honor of me actually camping the proper way," she teased.

Chelsea halfheartedly smiled. "Actually, Rae, I was going to call Ben and see if he wanted to hang out."

"Oh…okay. That's cool, Chels. You guys haven't seen each other in nearly three days. I know how it is," Raven smiled and joked even though she felt rejected. She turned to her own luggage to begin unpacking.

It was on the tip of Chelsea's tongue to invite Raven along, but she held back from doing so. With one last glance at her friend, she grabbed her toiletries and headed to the bathroom to grab a shower before calling Ben.


	4. Chapter 4

**Stronger Than Before**

Chapter 4

The next few weeks passed slowly and it seemed as if Raven saw less and less of Chelsea. She went out with Ben every night and she was in the habit of leaving early every morning before Raven even had the chance to say goodbye. Their usual routine of a hug and a kiss, or any affection at all, ceased to exist. Anytime Raven tried to have a conversation with her, she was either in a hurry to go and see Ben or she had loads of homework to get to. The feeling of loneliness was starting to overtake her again.

Raven was surprised when she came home one day to find Chelsea working at her desk.

"Hey, Chels," she said softly. There was so much more she wanted to say, but she was afraid of scaring the girl off.

"Hi, Rae," Chelsea returned just as softly. Her eyes followed Raven as she moved around the room. She knew she had been incredibly distant and that it was hurting her friend. Raven was the happiest, most vibrant person she knew. She had a beautiful energy that just radiated from her, but no one would be able to tell based on the last few weeks and Chelsea felt horrible because she knew she was the cause.

The kiss they had shared at the camp grounds scared her. Neither of them had spoken of it. There were a few times where she thought Raven was going to mention it, but she always stopped her before she could.

"Chels, are you mad at me?"

Chelsea whipped around at the sound of her friend's voice and she nearly cried at how vulnerable she looked. Her beautiful eyes had welled with tears and her chin was quivering. "What? Rae, no," she said standing. Chelsea's guilt had tripled in the last few seconds and she pulled Raven into a tight hug, no longer able to resist. "No, Rae. Please don't cry. I'm sorry," she whispered as her own tears began to fall.

"I just…I feel like I'm losing my best friend," Raven cried.

Chelsea squeezed tighter. "Never," she said with conviction. "I'm sorry, Rae. I know I've been distant. I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I never meant to hurt you," she explained.

Raven pulled back to look at her friend. "You know you can talk to me about anything."

"I know," Chelsea whispered.

Raven nodded. "Please, just promise me that no matter what…we'll always be friends."

"I promise," Chelsea said as she pulled Raven into another hug, relishing in the comfort she had been missing out on for the last few weeks. It felt more like a lifetime. Maybe she had read too much into what the kiss meant. They had both been incredibly emotional after the day's events and they were just comforting one another. Her mind had turned it into something more and she had almost ruined their friendship because of it.

* * *

Things seemed to be getting back to normal after their cathartic cry. Raven was still somewhat tentative around Chelsea and the redhead hated that she had caused her friend to be that way.

One afternoon, Chelsea was sitting in the cafeteria of the student union waiting on Raven and Ben to join her for lunch. She spotted Raven first and waved her over.

"Hey, girl! What's up?" Raven said as she gave Chelsea a quick hug before taking a seat across from her.

"Wow, you look great, Rae," Chelsea complimented, eyebrows raised as she looked at her friend. She left before Raven got dressed that morning. The charcoal gray skirt suit she was wearing was pretty straightforward, but it had been decked out with all of the accessories Raven was known for; the sparkling diamond jewelry, the spiky heels, the perfect makeup, and flowing black hair. There was just enough cleavage to say sexy yet still classy.

"Thanks," Raven said with a grin. "I had to give a presentation in class today. Where's Ben?"

"Right here," he said with a smile as he took a seat next to his girlfriend.

Chelsea quickly turned to greet him, hoping that neither of them noticed how hard she had been staring at Raven. "Hey," she said, greeting Ben with a smile and a kiss.

Raven looked away as the two kissed, a feeling she couldn't quite describe slightly souring her mood. Although Chelsea had stopped avoiding her, they rarely spent any time together without Ben. She didn't mean any ill will towards him. In fact, she thought he was a wonderful guy, but she missed the times when it was just her and Chelsea.

After the girls had decided on what they wanted for lunch, Ben graciously left to go and get the food.

"So, guess what?" Raven said after he had gone.

"What?" Chelsea asked curiously.

"Devon's going to come for a visit this weekend," Raven announced with a happy squeal.

"Rae, that's great!" Chelsea said, excited for her friend.

"I know. I just hope we can finally figure out where we stand." Raven knew that her emotions had been all over the place lately. She figured that maybe seeing Devon would be the cure for the craziness.

"Rae, that party is this weekend. Maybe we could all go together," Chelsea suggested.

"Good idea, Chels! A double date. Who would've thought that we'd be freshman in college before we finally had boyfriends together," she joked, thinking about the vow they'd made during their freshman year of high school to have boyfriends at the same time.

Chelsea laughed as she thought back to those times when everything seemed so much simpler. It wasn't really that long ago, but it sure felt like it.

Ben looked at the two girls as he approached the table with their meals. Even though he and Chelsea had spent practically every waking moment together since she returned from the camping trip, most of the time she seemed to be a million miles away. As he got closer, she and Raven seemed to be chatting and laughing like normal. Maybe he had done the right thing by ignoring his vision.

* * *

Raven spent the rest of the week preparing for Devon's visit. She found a great outfit to wear to the party and she had planned out nearly every moment of his stay, wanting to make sure all of her time with him counted.

The two friends sat quietly in their room doing homework. The party was tomorrow and they both wanted to get it out of the way so they could have the weekend free, especially Raven, who had to leave to pick Devon up from the airport soon.

Chelsea sighed and stood up from her desk.

"You finished already, girl?" Raven asked, her eyes focused on her laptop.

"Just taking a break," she said as she wandered over to Raven's bed and plopped down.

Raven glanced at her friend and smiled. If Chelsea felt comfortable enough to start stealing her bed again then maybe things really were getting back to normal. Deciding that she had gotten as far as she was going to with her work, she shut her laptop and slipped her heels back on.

"Okay, I'm off to the airport, Chels," Raven said as she grabbed her purse and car keys.

Chelsea stood from the bed in order to walk her friend out.

Raven took a deep breath and smiled. "How do I look?"

Chelsea walked closer and brushed a lock of hair out of Raven's eyes. Her hand lingered in the silky tresses a little longer than necessary and she forced herself to be calm as she pulled it away. "Beautiful."

Raven's heart beat a little faster at the tenderness in Chelsea's voice. They stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking, but it was Chelsea who eventually broke the silence.

"You'd better get going. You don't want to be late picking up Devon," she said softly.

Right. Devon.

Raven smiled and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm off." The need to see him had suddenly turned urgent. Her mind was all over the place and she just knew he was the cure. He had to be. She would swoon at his handsome smile and take comfort in his strong arms engulfing her in a hug.

Just as she reached the door, her cellphone rang, Pressure's latest single filling the air. She looked at the caller I.D. and smiled at Chelsea. "It's Devon. Maybe his plane got in early," she said before finally answering.

Chelsea closed her eyes and took a deep breath while Raven was busy talking on the phone. She needed to get a hold of herself. Her eyes opened when she heard Raven's keys drop to the desk.

"It's alright…No, I'm fine…It couldn't be helped," Raven said into the phone.

Raven's voice had taken on a neutral tone and Chelsea moved closer as her concern grew.

"We'll just have to try again soon," Raven said as she took a shaky breath. "Okay. I love you, too. Bye."

The redhead watched as Raven closed the phone and remained facing away from her. She ran a hand through her hair and sat her purse down. "Rae…" Chelsea said, already fully aware of what just happened.

Finally turning around, Raven put on a brave smile. "Well, Chels, looks like I got all dolled up for nothing," she said with a small shrug.

Chelsea saw her friends beautiful eyes glistening as she tried to hold back her emotion. "I'm sorry, Rae," she said softly. Her heart broke as large tears quietly spilled down Raven's cheeks and she wasted no time in gathering her friend into a strong hug. Chelsea's own tears began to fall as she sympathized with her friend's pain and in that moment she hated Devon Carter.

* * *

The setting sun shined brightly through the window and onto the two sleeping figures lying huddled together in the small bed. Chelsea squinted against the strong light and slowly opened her eyes. She stretched gently so as not to wake Raven who was still sleeping next to her.

Chelsea held Raven for what seemed like forever before finally guiding her to the bed to rest. She lay down with the dark haired girl, not daring to leave her, and eventually they both fell asleep.

Leaning away from where their heads had been bowed together, sharing a pillow, Chelsea gazed at Raven's sleeping face and wondered how things could have gotten so complicated in the last couple of months. Raven was the strongest person she knew, but lately she seemed so vulnerable. Chelsea knew that she had played a role in that vulnerability when she had become distant after their camping trip. As she brushed some hair away from Raven's face, she vowed that she would put her own crazy emotions aside and be there for her friend. They had made that promise to one another and she took it seriously.

Chelsea gently leaned forward until her head was once again pressed against Raven's. Their close proximity allowed for a visual study of the dark haired girl's sleeping face. Chelsea took in the long, dark eyelashes and the gently rounded face, the smooth brown skin and the full lips. Her eyes drifted shut as she felt herself moving closer still, her nose brushing against Raven's lightly.

Brown eyes flew open when she suddenly felt her friend stirring and she pulled back slightly. She glanced up to see Raven's sleepy hazel eyes staring back.

"Hey." She hoped Raven couldn't hear her pounding heart.

"Hi," came the soft reply.

"Are you okay?" Chelsea asked. Raven nodded and closed her eyes again. Chelsea slowly sat up on the edge of the bed. She needed some space, but she didn't want it to seem as if she was in a hurry to get away from Raven. "Listen," she began as she busied herself with slipping her shoes back on, "Why don't you rest some more and I'll go get us something to eat, okay?"

"Okay," Raven said from where she still laid on the bed. She watched quietly as Chelsea fixed her clothes and then made her way to the bathroom.

Chelsea came out a few minutes later and grabbed her purse.

"Chels, don't forget your phone. It's starting to get dark," Raven said, having spotted it still sitting on the nightstand.

The redhead smiled, touched by her friends' simple reminder. Even in her sadness she was still concerned about Chelsea's wellbeing.

"Maybe I should go with you," Raven said as she moved to sit up. She hated the idea of Chelsea walking across campus alone after dark.

"No," Chelsea said gently as she made her way over, snatching up her cellphone. She sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder. "I won't go far, I promise." Before she could stop herself, she leaned over and placed a kiss on Raven's cheek. "Be right back."

Raven smiled, comforted by her friend's affection.

* * *

The previous night consisted of a quiet dinner and watching television. Chelsea tried her best to keep Raven's spirits up and they spent the night being the close friends that they were. Chelsea had even talked Raven into going to the party anyway. She declined at first, insisting that she would feel like a third wheel with Chelsea and Ben, but as the night wore on, she considered the idea more and more and decided that maybe Devon cancelling the visit at the last minute was a sign that she needed to move on.

Now, she stood looking into the bathroom mirror, applying the finishing touches to her makeup.

"Devon doesn't know what he's missing," she said to herself, confident that she looked good.

In the other room, Chelsea was slipping into her shoes when there was a knock at the door. Ben was meeting them so they could go to the party together.

"Hi," she greeted with a smile as he entered the room. He leaned in to give her a light kiss.

"You look great," Ben said as he gave her the once over. Raven entered the room just then and all eyes went to her.

Chelsea stared at her friend, making a conscious effort to keep her mouth closed.

Ben looked at his girlfriend and noticed the way she was staring at Raven. He cleared his throat and Chelsea glanced at him, seemingly pulled from a daze. "Raven you look incredible," he complimented.

"Yeah, Rae, Devon is totally missing out right now," Chelsea agreed.

"Thanks, guys," Raven smiled.

Once last check to make sure they had everything they needed and they were off to the party.

* * *

The gathering was in full swing when they arrived. It was packed and the music was thumping. One of Maisha's old dance tracks was playing and Raven was surprised when she felt Chelsea's hand slip into hers, pulling her further into the crowd to dance.

Ben watched for a minute as the girls became lost in the mass before moving along to find something to drink. After turning down a few offers to dance, he finally made his way to the kitchen. Every kind of drink imaginable seemed to be available. Grabbing a red party cup, Ben filled it with beer from one of the kegs and went to find Chelsea again.

* * *

"Let's take a break," Raven yelled over the beat of the music. They had been dancing for quite some time now. Chelsea nodded and turned around to start looking for Ben. When she finally spotted him, she grabbed Raven's hand and made her way to him.

Ben watched as the girls approached and saw that they were holding hands. It was something they did all the time, but he found himself staring and was instantly reminded of his vision.

"Good, you've got something to drink," Chelsea said as she took his cup.

"Wait," Ben warned as she took a big gulp, but it was too late.

Raven watched as Chelsea made a face and reluctantly swallowed.

"Ugh! I hate beer." She stuck her tongue out in disgust.

Ben took his cup back and smiled apologetically.

"Come on, Chels. Let's go get something else," Raven suggested, holding back a smile.

Ben watched them walk away as he continued sipping his beer. Maybe ignoring the vision wasn't the way to go after all.

* * *

As the night continued, Chelsea spent most of her time with Raven. Ben spent most of his time chatting with a few friends, but he had been watching Raven and Chelsea all night. He saw them leave the dance floor when a slow song started and followed them to where they stood in a corner. Maybe now he could finally dance with his girlfriend.

"Chelsea, let's dance," he said, grabbing her hand.

"Actually, Ben, I'm going to stay here with Rae."

Ben was suddenly annoyed. "You've been with her all night. All I'm asking for is one dance."

Chelsea and Raven were both shocked at the tone Ben's voice had taken. He was one of the sweetest guys either of them had ever known and they weren't sure why he was acting this way.

"Whoa. Maybe you need to cool it on the beer," Raven said.

"I don't need to be told what to do and this is between me and Chelsea," he argued, once again reaching for her hand.

Chelsea pulled away, her own anger rising. "Don't talk to her like that," she warned protectively of her friend.

An unsuspecting guy walked up just then. "Excuse me. Would you like to dance?" he asked smiling at Chelsea.

"No, she wouldn't," Ben said turning to the guy and answering for her, loudly.

"Dude, you need to chill!" the guy said just as loudly.

They were starting to attract a crowd and Raven realized that it was the vision she and Ben had shared when he first came back. "Listen, Chels, you don't have to stay with me," Raven said, trying to diffuse the situation. "Actually, I think I'm ready to leave anyway." Ben's mood had ruined any fun she was having.

"Wait, I'm coming with you," Chelsea said with one last angry glare at Ben. She grabbed Raven's hand and they waded through the crowd towards the door.

Ben ran a frustrated hand over his face. "Chelsea, wait!" he called, but she didn't turn around. Slamming his cup down, he left the party, afraid that he might have just made his vision come true.


	5. Chapter 5

**Stronger Than Before**

Chapter 5

The rest of the weekend was spent with Chelsea ignoring Ben's calls. She couldn't believe the way he had acted at the party. He knew what happened with Devon and she thought he would be more understanding about her spending so much time with Raven. Raven felt guilty for coming between Ben and Chelsea, but the redhead would hear none of it, insisting that Ben needed to take responsibility for his own actions.

It was the middle of the following week and Chelsea walked casually across campus. Her biology class had let out a few minutes early and she was going to wait for Raven after her English class so they could have lunch together.

As she approached Raven's building, a group of students poured out onto the sidewalk. Chelsea's brow furrowed slightly as she saw Raven walking out a few minutes later with a tall, good looking guy. Raven pulled out her cellphone as he spoke to her. It looked like she was adding his number to her contacts and vice versa. As Chelsea approached, Raven flashed the guy a smile and they went their separate ways.

"Well, it looks like you've moved on," Chelsea said as Raven spotted her. She tried to keep her voice light.

Raven sighed. "Well, Chels, what am I gonna do? Wait on Devon forever?"

"So, what's his name?" the redhead asked as they began walking to the student union.

"James," Raven said with a smile. "He seems really nice and, as you saw, he is _fine_," Raven joked.

Chelsea laughed lightly at her friends comment, but she felt troubled for some reason.

Finally reaching the cafeteria, they got their lunch and found a table.

"What else do you know about him? Is he from around here?" Chelsea asked as she pushed her salad around.

"Chels, you sound like my parents," Raven said.

"Well, someone's got to look after you, young lady," Chelsea teased.

"And you do it so well," Raven smiled at her friend. "I don't really know much about him yet. I think I'm gonna take my time. He seems like a cool person to hang out with, but I'm still not ready to jump into anything," she explained.

Chelsea felt a sense of relief as she listened to Raven, but chose to ignore it as such.

"Chels, I know you're a vegetarian, girl, but I can't believe all you got was that measly salad."

"They don't really have too many options here," Chelsea said as she watched Raven take a bite of her chocolate cake.

Raven looked up when she heard Chelsea chuckle. "What?"

"You've got some chocolate icing…right here," she said as she reached over to brush it away.

Raven's breathing stopped when she felt Chelsea's thumb brushing the corner of her mouth. She practically fainted as she watched her suck the icing from her thumb. Forcing herself to relax, Raven sliced a piece of the cake and held it out for her.

Chelsea slowly took the offered bite as Raven stared at her.

* * *

Ben entered the student union and looked around for Chelsea. He felt awful after what happened at the party, but even though he'd handled things badly, he wasn't going to give up. Making his way to the cafeteria, he scanned the crowd and saw her sitting at a table with Raven. He began making his way over, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Raven feeding Chelsea. They were staring at each other intently and he felt his face go pale. He knew they were close and they always showed their fondness for one another, even in high school, but the look they were sharing went beyond that of friends. It was as if they were the only two people in the room.

"Yo, Ben, what's up?"

He turned around at the sound of his name being called and saw one of his friends. With one last look in their direction, he hurried away so Chelsea and Raven wouldn't be alerted to his presence.

* * *

"Do you have a lot of work to do?" Raven asked later as she and Chelsea walked home. Spring break was coming up soon and every professor seemed to be piling it on.

"Three papers and four tests," Chelsea said matter-of-factly. "You?"

"Two papers, two tests and a novel to read, but it's not due until after spring break," Raven smiled.

"Lucky," Chelsea said, bumping Raven with her shoulder. "So, have you decided what you're going to do for spring break yet?"

"Well, I was thinking I'd go visit my dad…" Raven trailed off as they approached the path that led them to their building. She hadn't mentioned it yet, but she was actually thinking about going to visit her mom instead. Tonya Baxter had moved to London when Raven was a junior in high school in order to pursue a career in international law. Raven wanted to invite Chelsea to go with her, but after everything that happened, she wasn't so confident that she would want to go. "What about you?"

"Well, I know my parents want me to come home," Chelsea said. Even though she had moved away to college, Chelsea still went home on a regular basis to visit. She couldn't go very long without her mother's gluten-free spaghetti.

Finally entering their building, the two young women got on the elevator and rode in silence. Raven's eyes glanced up to see that they were on the second floor. Their room was on the third floor. Eventually, the doors slid open loudly and they stepped out. Gathering her courage, she spoke up.

"Chels, I've actually been thinking that maybe…you and…"

"Ben?" Chelsea said.

Raven glanced up from where she had been staring at the floor as they walked. She looked down the hallway to see that Ben was sitting on the floor in front of their room and her courage fizzled.

"Chelsea, Raven," he said standing up. He wanted to speak quickly before they decided to send him away. "I am so sorry about what happened at the party. I'm not really sure what happened…I just…" he trailed off, not really having an excuse that they would understand.

"Ben, it's okay," Chelsea said, deciding that he had suffered long enough. "Maybe next time you shouldn't have so much to drink."

"You're probably right," he agreed. Although he did have a few beers that night, he hadn't been drunk. The alcohol had only served to give him a little more bravado, but he had no intention of telling Chelsea and Raven what his anger was really about, so he let them think it was the alcohol talking. "Raven," Ben said, turning gentle eyes on her, "Forgive me?"

"Of course," she said quickly, offering up a smile. "Why don't I leave you guys to talk," she said as she started back down the hallway.

"Rae, no, you go inside. I'm sure you just want to relax after a long day," Chelsea said as she pulled out her key to open the door for Raven. "Ben and I can go to the community room." The community room was a place where students could entertain guests or family who came to visit. It contained some old couches and chairs and an even older TV that provided cable. It was also where the resident advisors held meetings and it was usually empty.

Raven watched them walk away and entered the room. "So much for that," she mumbled to herself.

* * *

About an hour had passed before Chelsea returned.

"Did you and Ben work everything out?" Raven asked. She was sitting up in bed with one of her sketch pads.

"Yeah, everything is cool," Chelsea said, sliding off her backpack. She sat on her bed and watched Raven for a few moments as she continued sketching. "Ben asked me to spend spring break at his parents' house with him."

Raven's hand stilled against the sketch pad. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing yet. I'm not sure if I want to. I mean…a whole week with his parents."

"Well, it's Vegas," Raven smiled, trying to be supportive. "I'm sure you'll have plenty to do besides sitting around Ben's house all day."

"Maybe," Chelsea said quietly.

Raven wondered why her friend was being so reluctant. "Chels, don't go if you aren't ready. Spending an entire week with a guy and his family is kind of a big step in a relationship."

"Yeah…I guess I'll just have to think about it," Chelsea said before making her way to the bathroom.

Raven watched her go and wondered if maybe she should invite her to go to London anyway. She seemed uncertain when it came to Ben's offer, so maybe she needed to provide her with an alternative.

When Chelsea returned, she had changed into more comfortable clothing and her face was clean of any makeup.

"Chels, you look like a baby without any makeup," Raven teased.

Chelsea pretended to be offended. "So! You look like an embryo without your makeup."

Raven reached behind herself and threw one of her pillows at Chelsea, who dodged it and laughed. Raven was caught off guard when Chelsea threw the pillow back. It bumped her hand and caused her to draw a dark line through her sketch.

Chelsea gasped. "I'm so sorry, Rae," she said as she sat on the bed next to her and looked at the sketch.

"It's okay, Chels. It was an accident. Besides, I can always redraw it." She watched as Chelsea picked up her eraser and carefully began smearing away the dark line.

"Look. All better," she said proudly. There was barely any indication that the mark had been there.

"Chels," Raven began, thinking that now was the perfect time to ask her, "I've actually been thinking about going to see my mom in London instead of going to D.C."

"Wow, Rae, that'd be great. It's been so long since you've seen her," Chelsea said. "It sure is a long ways away though."

"Well, I know that Ben just invited you to his house…but…I just wanted you to know that you could go to London with me instead," Raven said quietly. "Only if you want to," she added quickly. She really hated being so nervous around Chelsea these days.

Chelsea wasn't sure what to say. It'd be great to go to London with Raven, but she knew she would disappoint Ben if she told him no. "Let me think about it, okay?" she said gently.

"Okay," Raven smiled. At least it wasn't a no.

* * *

This year, Chelsea's birthday landed on the Friday before spring break began.

It was a Tuesday and Raven strolled through the mall casually, a couple of bags in her hand. She had gotten a few things for her trip to visit her mom, but she didn't go overboard. Her plane ticket was bought and paid for, but she was still waiting on an answer from Chelsea.

So far, she had done more window shopping than actual shopping. She wanted to get Chelsea something special for her birthday and not just the usual gifts of clothing or dinner. Store after store came up empty and Raven was almost ready to forget the mall altogether and do some online shopping when she came upon a jewelry store. Deciding that she may as well take a look, she entered the small establishment and eyed all of the sparkling pieces through the glass cases. Just as she was about to give up, her eye caught something and she immediately knew that it would be perfect for Chelsea.

* * *

Chelsea emerged from the bathroom freshly showered. Friday had finally arrived and it was her nineteenth birthday. Ben was taking her someplace special for dinner. She hadn't seen Raven since that morning and Eddie had called bright and early to wish her a happy birthday. It was good to hear his voice. Her birthday had been spent with her two best friends ever since they were five years old and she was kind of sad that this year was going to be the end of that tradition.

After changing into a simple black dress with matching heels, Chelsea made her way into the bathroom to put on some makeup. As she finished applying her lip gloss, she heard the door to their room closing. "Rae, is that you?" she called from the bathroom. Checking her hair one last time, she went into the main room to see Raven standing by her bed.

"Happy birthday, Chels," she said quietly with a smile.

Something caught Chelsea's eye and she looked past Raven to see a potted flower sitting on her bed. "Rae, what is that?" she smiled. She moved closer to see that it was a bright yellow hibiscus.

"It's to make up for that one I never replaced," Raven said, referring to the one she let die when she was supposed to be plant sitting for her friend.

"It's gorgeous! I'll have to find the perfect place to put it," Chelsea said as she happily looked around the room. Deciding that it would look perfect near the window, she sat it in its new home and turned back to Raven.

"I got you this, too," she said shyly.

Chelsea looked at the long, velvet jewelry box in Raven's outstretched hand. Slowly approaching, she gently took the box and opened it. Her breath caught as she looked at the sparkling silver heart pendant hanging from a thin chain. There was one small diamond located in the dip of the heart. "Rae, it's beautiful," she whispered.

"You're beautiful," Raven said just as softly as she took a step closer to Chelsea.

This time they didn't look away, brown and hazel eyes locking. Slowly, Raven's gaze drifted down to Chelsea's glossy red lips and she felt herself moving closer still. She remembered what those lips felt like pressed against her own and she wanted to feel it again.

"Raven…" Chelsea breathed. Her eyes drifted shut as Raven came closer and she felt full, soft lips pressing strongly against her own. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't stop herself from responding and she returned the kiss fully as her free hand reached for Raven, the other still grasping the jewelry box.

They parted briefly and when they came together again, the kiss deepened. Raven felt Chelsea's tongue gently exploring and she parted her lips to return the gentle exploration. Just as the kiss began to deepen even further, there was a knock at the door. Both girls pulled apart quickly and looked at each other, hearts pounding. The knock came again and Chelsea took a step away from Raven as she clutched the velvet box against her chest. A third knock and she finally pulled her gaze away from Raven's to go and answer it.

Raven watched as Chelsea turned away. She looked terrified.

Chelsea opened the door and Ben stood there with a smile. She moved back so he could step inside and mustered up a smile of her own.

"Chelsea, you look beautiful," he said, leaning in for a kiss.

Raven turned away and pretended to busy with straightening her bed, not realizing that Chelsea had offered Ben her cheek.

"What's that?" he said, referring to the box in her hand.

Chelsea glanced at Raven before answering Ben. "It's my birthday present from Raven," she said, holding it out so he could see.

"Wow, that's really nice. You should wear it tonight," he suggested.

"I'll go put it on," she said, desperate for a moment to herself.

"I'll put it on for you," Ben offered as he removed the necklace from the box.

Chelsea slowly gathered her hair and turned her back to him as he placed it around her neck.

Raven turned around and watched as Ben fastened the necklace. She felt like her heart was breaking.

"There," he said.

"I'm going to check my makeup and then I'll be ready." Chelsea made a beeline for the bathroom.

When she was finally alone, she took a shaky breath and looked at herself in the mirror. All she wanted to do was cry, but she fought it. How had everything gotten so messed up? After reapplying her lip gloss, she took another deep breath and made her way back into the main room.

Raven watched as Chelsea came out of the bathroom and made her way over to Ben. Neither of them was aware that he had felt the tension the moment the door opened.

"Ready?" he asked. Chelsea nodded and he opened the door for her. "See you later, Raven," he said with a polite smile.

Raven halfheartedly returned the smile and watched as he guided Chelsea from the room. The redhead didn't even look at her. When she was alone, Raven put her hands to her face and tried to fight her tears, but she lost. She felt scared, guilty and jealous all at once. Scared because she had never felt this way about a girl before, guilty because she had just kissed Ben's girlfriend and jealous because Chelsea left with him instead of staying with her.

It was all becoming too much and she didn't want to be there when Chelsea returned from her date. Pulling herself together, she grabbed her phone and dialed the airport.

"Yes, I'd like to know if I can catch an earlier flight…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Stronger Than Before**

Chapter 6

Ben took Chelsea to one of her favorite restaurants for dinner. She liked it because they had a nice vegetarian selection, but as he looked across the table, he could see that she had barely touched her food.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. He noticed that every so often she would play with the pendant that rested against her chest.

Chelsea looked up from her plate suddenly and smiled tightly. "Everything is fine. I really love it here," she said, looking around. The kiss was playing in her mind over and over and she felt guilty for thinking about it—_doing it_—when she was with a great guy who loved her. She would just have to tell Raven that it was a mistake and they would have to forget it ever happened. Gathering up whatever strength she had left, she put the kiss out of her mind and focused on Ben.

* * *

It was a beautiful night and they strolled casually across the brightly lit campus.

"I hope you're having a nice birthday," Ben said as he squeezed her hand.

"I am," Chelsea smiled. It was like no other birthday she had before. "Listen, I'm not ready to go home yet. Is there somewhere else we could go?"

"We can go back to my place," he suggested. "My roommate already left for spring break."

That reminded Chelsea about Raven asking her to go to London and she realized she had never given her an answer. Raven was supposed to leave Sunday afternoon.

Once they arrived at Ben's room, Chelsea stood by the door as he rushed around to try and straighten up. She smiled as he quickly made his bed and took a seat on the messy blue comforter. It was definitely a guy's dorm, she thought looking around. She and Raven kept their room pristine and Ben's room was full of dirty clothes and items that should have been thrown away days ago.

"Sorry about the mess," he apologized before sitting down next to her.

"It's okay," she said, smiling at him gently.

Ben leaned in slowly and kissed her. Chelsea returned his kiss and turned to face him more fully. He buried his fingers in her thick hair and the kiss deepened. Things were quickly heating up and before Chelsea knew it, her back was against the bed and her fingers were unbuttoning Ben's shirt.

Ben moved his kisses to her neck as he felt her pushing his shirt off.

Chelsea's eyes sprang open with a soft gasp as an image of Raven's face flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes tightly against it as Ben's kisses moved to her shoulders. His hand drifted to her back to unzip her dress and the memory of the sweet and gentle kiss from the camping trip hit her.

"Ben, wait…" Tears stung her eyes.

Ben stopped at the feel of Chelsea's hand pressing against his bare chest. He looked down to see that she was crying.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I can't do this."

Ben rolled over until he was lying next to her on his back and covered his face with his hands. He couldn't pretend that he didn't know what was going on anymore. "It's Raven, isn't it?" he asked softly.

Chelsea looked at him surprised before realization dawned on her. "You had a vision." He nodded and she turned on her side facing away from him. "I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened," she said. Her tears came harder when she felt Ben gently zip her dress and place a comforting arm around her waist as he snuggled up behind her. She felt like she didn't ever deserve him.

"Maybe I should've said something sooner," he whispered. "I just didn't want to lose you."

"When did you have the vision?" she asked.

"It was before the camping trip."

Chelsea felt embarrassed that Ben knew about that kiss all this time. She listened as he went on to describe the vision and her heart began pounding in her ears.

The vision he was describing hadn't happened and she felt her cheeks burning at the very real possibility that it would. She didn't have the heart to tell him.

* * *

It was nearly midnight by the time Ben and Chelsea arrived at her and Raven's door.

"Ben…I'm sorry I hurt you," she said sadly. "That's the last thing I ever wanted to do."

Ben gathered her into another hug and placed a kiss on her head. "I know." His heart was broken, but he didn't ever want her to think that he hated her. At the moment, it seemed he couldn't even get angry. Chelsea was special to him and she always would be.

"I guess I'd better go inside," she said quietly. She was terrified of facing Raven.

One last squeeze and Ben let her go. "Call me if you ever need anything…I'll always be your friend."

Chelsea nodded as more tears came and watched him walk away. Wiping her face and taking a deep breath, she entered the dark room and leaned against the closed door. Raven was probably sleeping and she carefully made her way to the bathroom so as not to wake her. A part of her was relieved that she would at least have until the morning to get her thoughts together.

Using the light from the bathroom, she maneuvered around the darkened main room to get ready for bed. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that something seemed off. She turned on the desk lamp to see that Raven's bed was empty. She couldn't imagine where Raven would be this late at night and she hadn't the presence of mind to see if her car was still in the parking lot as Ben walked her home.

As her eyes scanned the room, she saw a piece of paper lying on her pillow and immediately snatched it up.

_Chels,_

_I decided to catch an early flight so I could have as much time as possible with my mom. I hope you're having a great birthday and I'll see you when I get back._

_Raven_

Chelsea fell back onto her bed exhausted. She had just lost Ben and now Raven was gone, too.

It was the worst birthday ever.

* * *

Tonya Baxter was surprised when she got the call from her daughter saying that she would be arriving in London early, but it only served to amp up her excitement. It had been too long since she'd last seen her daughter and she was ecstatic when Raven told her she was coming.

She waited anxiously by the arrival gate and tears sprung to her eyes as she spotted her; the beautiful young woman she had turn into.

Raven saw her mother and hurried to her. She cried as she was wrapped in tight hug, comforted by her mother's presence.

* * *

Raven was excited as she entered her mom's apartment. The taxi ride from the airport had been adventurous as she took in the sights and the sounds. London was a beautiful city and there was plenty more to see.

"So, how was your flight?" Tonya asked as she helped carry in her daughter's luggage.

"Long," Raven said flatly.

Tonya laughed. "I thought Chelsea was going to come with you."

"Well, she was…but she wanted to spend some time with Ben instead."

"I'm not sure I know who Ben is," Tonya said.

Raven really didn't feel like explaining, but she didn't want her mom to get suspicious. "He and Chelsea used to date in high school. Then he moved away, but he came back," she said, giving Tonya the short version.

"Well that's sweet. I'm happy for Chelsea."

Raven stayed quiet.

"So, I've got a bunch of stuff planned for us," Tonya said. Raven was glad that her mom didn't inquire any further.

* * *

Later that night, Raven lay in bed in the guest room of her mom's apartment. It had been a full day of exploring the neighborhood her mom lived in and they had even done a little shopping. Instead of going out to eat, Tonya cooked and Raven loved it. She hadn't had a home cooked meal since college started.

Pulling out her cellphone, she wondered if she should text Chelsea to at least let her know she arrived safely. She wondered what she was doing; if she was with Ben…if she had thought about their kiss. Raven couldn't stop thinking about it.

She opened up her phone to send a text, but hesitated, not really sure of what to say. It had been a long day and before she knew it, her eyes were drifting shut and she was fast asleep.

* * *

A few more days passed and the sightseeing and shopping had worn the women out for the time being. Raven relaxed in front of the television, trying to find a show that she recognized, while her mom took some time to do a little work.

Tonya noticed that Raven seemed a little subdued ever since she had arrived. At first she thought it was simply jetlag, but as the days passed her daughter, who usually seemed to be full of boundless energy, had remained uncharacteristically quiet. Standing up from her laptop, Tonya sat next to Raven on the couch and put an arm around her.

"So, how are your classes?" she asked.

Raven laid her head on her mom's shoulder and sighed. "Good," she answered, telling her about some of the specialized classes she had to take for design.

"And how is dorm life? You and Chelsea getting a long okay?" she inquired. Sometimes it took living with someone to know whether or not you really liked them. Chelsea and Raven had been friends for so long that she doubted they would have any problems living together, so she was surprised when she heard her daughter sniffling. "Baby, what's wrong?" Tonya asked concerned. "Did you and Chelsea have a fight?"

"No…"

Raven's voice was small and it broke Tonya's heart to hear her sounding so defeated. "Tell me."

Raven was quiet for a while, terrified to tell her mother what was bothering her. "I think I…"she began, her voice quivering noticeably, "…I think I have feelings for Chelsea."

To say that Tonya was shocked was an understatement. Her boy crazy daughter had just told her she had feelings for a girl, her best friend at that, a girl who was also like a daughter to her.

"Please say something," Raven said quietly, the tears evident in her voice.

Tonya snapped herself out of it and held her baby tighter. "What makes you think that?" she asked gently.

Raven was afraid of that question, but she had already come this far. She told her mother about what happened during the camping trip, her cheeks burning with embarrassment at having to tell her mom about how she kissed her best friend.

"And does Chelsea feel the same?"

Raven sighed. "Sometimes, I think she does, but other times I have no idea." She snuggled closer to her mother and closer her eyes. "Do you think I'm weird?" she asked, the tears threatening once again.

"Baby, no," Tonya said adamantly as she guided her daughter's face around to look at her. "Your father and I love you and your brother no matter what. You're my beautiful baby girl, my first born," she said with a watery smile, "And there is _nothing_ that could _ever_ make me stop loving you."

Raven fell into her mother's arms and cried cathartic tears as a wave of relief washed over her.

* * *

The two Baxter women talked all night about the way Raven had been feeling for the last few months. Although Raven was still torn about her feelings for Chelsea, a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she was better able to enjoy her time with her mom.

No matter what happened with Chelsea, Tonya had told Raven to take her time and not rush into anything. She would have given her the same advice even if it had been a boy. There wasn't much else she could do to help her daughter through the situation though. It was up to her to be honest with herself and with Chelsea.

The rest of the trip seemed to go by quickly and Tonya was sad to see her daughter go. She missed her family desperately and there were times when she felt an overwhelming guilt for leaving her husband and her children, but they were all supportive of her. There were days when she wanted to forget the entire thing and move back home, but she knew she was doing something that would help to better all of their lives so she stuck with it.

It was a tearful goodbye at the airport and a promise from Raven to call more often. Tonya watched as her daughter made her way to the gate and prayed that she would find happiness and success in whatever she chose to do.


	7. Chapter 7

**Stronger Than Before**

Chapter 7

Spring break was over and students begrudgingly trudged back to campus, Raven and Chelsea included.

When Raven got to the room, she paused in the hallway, scared to face Chelsea. She unlocked the door and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was empty, but as she looked around the room she realized that Chelsea had already come and gone. She went about unpacking her own things and waited for the inevitable.

After a few hours, Raven was completely unpacked and bored out of her mind. Chelsea had yet to return and she wondered if she was avoiding her. On the flight back to San Francisco, she had decided that she was going to tell Chelsea how she felt, no matter what the consequences. Now, she was second guessing her decision. Turning off the television, she grabbed her purse and left. The dorm room was beginning to feel like a prison cell.

* * *

Chelsea had been strolling around campus for the past couple of hours. The past week had been a difficult one, to say the least, and she just need some time alone before she faced Raven. When she arrived home for spring break, her mom immediately knew something was troubling her daughter. Chelsea's mom, Joni Daniels, was a therapist, so it wasn't hard for her to spot the stress within her own daughter. Chelsea told her about the breakup with Ben, but she hadn't told her why they broke up. She had no doubt that her mother would be supportive, but she just wasn't ready to discuss it yet.

* * *

Raven came back to the room with a takeout order from _Antonio's_. It wasn't as good as the meals her mom had prepared for her, but it was the next best thing. Expecting that Chelsea would still be gone, she stood surprised when she saw her sitting at her desk.

Chelsea looked up at the sound of the door opening and immediately became nervous at the sight of Raven. "Hey." She hoped her voice wasn't shaking.

"Hey," Raven returned as she entered the room fully. She sat her things on her own desk and made her way to her bed to remove her jacket. "How was your break?" she asked.

Awful, Chelsea wanted to say, but she kept it to herself. "It was okay. How about you? How's your mom?" she inquired.

"It was good," Raven said with a light smile. "I don't think I realized how much I missed her until I got there." She watched as Chelsea turned back to her laptop and sank down onto the edge of her bed. A few minutes passed before she spoke again. "Chelsea…we have to talk about this," Raven said softly. She saw the redhead's back stiffen ever so slightly.

Chelsea stayed facing her computer as she answered. "Raven…I'm not ready yet. I…I just need more time," she said, finally turning around to look at her friend.

Raven's eyes glistened, but she held her tears in check. "Okay," she whispered, taking a deep breath. If Chelsea wasn't ready then she wasn't going to push her. Standing from her bed, she went to the desk where she left her food. "You want to share?" she asked Chelsea as she pulled out her order of spinach lasagna. It was Chelsea's favorite dish from _Antonio's_.

"Thanks, but I'm not really that hungry," she said.

Raven nodded. She wasn't so hungry anymore either.

* * *

As much as Raven tried to maintain some sense of normalcy, the awkwardness continued. It seemed that some days Chelsea could barely even look at her. Her behavior was much like it was when they returned from the camping trip. She stayed away from their room whenever possible and she feigned homework whenever Raven tried to engage her.

Raven knew that it must be strange for Chelsea, having kissed her best friend twice while she was dating a guy, but she was starting to feel like a leper. Raven was also starting to feel anger at Chelsea for avoiding the situation and not realizing that it was just as difficult for her.

She woke up one morning to see that Chelsea was already gone; her bed didn't even look like it had been slept in. It wasn't an unusual occurrence as it had been happening for the past two weeks. _Just another way to avoid me_, Raven thought to herself. She quickly made her bed and began preparing for her day.

Two hours later and she was finally ready. Stepping into the hallway, she dug through her purse for her keys so she could lock the door.

"Hey, Raven."

She looked up to see Julie, their resident advisor. "Good morning, Jules," she smiled.

"Did you and Chelsea have a fight or something?" the R.A. asked.

Raven's brow furrowed. "Why would you think that?"

"I've noticed that she's been camping out in the community room," Julie said. "Nobody sleeps in the community room unless they're desperate," she chuckled.

Raven marched down the hall away from Julie and towards the community room. The door was closed and she quietly opened it to peek inside. Chelsea was asleep with her back facing the door. Raven eased the door closed and stood in the hallway dumbfounded. Was it really that hard for Chelsea to be around her? Work and class forgotten, she determinedly made her way towards Julie's room.

* * *

Chelsea woke up at the sound of laughter and talking in the hallway. She sat up from the couch and rubbed at her neck. She seriously needed to stop falling asleep in the community room. She'd been having trouble sleeping and rather than risk waking Raven, she found herself watching television in the community room some nights. Gathering the blanket she'd been using, she folded it and made her way back to her room.

"Chelsea?"

She turned around to see Julie hurrying to catch up with her. "Hi, Julie."

"I just wanted to let you know that Raven explained everything to me. You'll probably have the room to yourself for a while, possibly even the rest of the semester, but if you end up having to share with someone else, I'll try to give you plenty of warning," she smiled. "I know how tough it can be getting used to a new roommate."

"What are you talking about?" Chelsea asked as worry flooded her features.

Julie cocked an eyebrow. "Uhhh…"

Chelsea left Julie standing in the hall and hurried to the room.

* * *

Raven almost had one suitcase filled by the time she heard the door open.

"What are you doing?" Chelsea demanded as she entered the room, the door closing loudly behind her.

"What does it look like, Chels?" Raven said flatly as she continued to pack, barely sparing a glance in Chelsea's direction.

"_Why_ are you packing?" the redhead asked forcefully.

"Because…It's obvious that I make you uncomfortable, so I think it's best if I just find someplace else to live."

"Raven, no," Chelsea said desperately. "I don't want you to leave!"

Raven threw the items she was holding onto the bed forcefully and whirled around to face Chelsea. "I can't do this anymore!" she yelled. "You won't even talk to me and I can't keep pretending that we didn't kiss or that I don't have feelings for you!" She turned away from Chelsea and brought a hand to her face as her tears came.

Chelsea's own tears fell as she watched Raven's shoulders shaking. She moved closer, but didn't touch her. "Rae, I'm scared," she whispered.

Raven brushed her tears away and slowly turned around. "I'm scared, too, Chels," she said softly. "I've never felt this way about a girl before…but I don't want to pretend that this never happened. We did that before and it didn't work," she said, referring to the aftermath of their first kiss.

Chelsea moved closer and slowly slipped her hands into Raven's. "I have feelings for you, too," she began. "But I don't know what to do…I don't know what to say or how to act anymore…I do know that I don't want you to leave…please don't leave me," she cried.

Raven squeezed Chelsea's hands and pulled her into a hug as she cried harder. "I won't…I promise."

They held each other for a while, relishing in the feel of one another. Raven pulled back slightly so she could look into Chelsea's eyes. She wiped her tears away lovingly and tucked soft, red locks behind her ears.

"Rae, what are we gonna do?" Chelsea asked.

Grabbing her hand, Raven led them to Chelsea's bed so they could sit. "Well," she sighed, "I think first, we have to think about Ben."

Chelsea's eyes went wide as she realized Raven didn't know. "Umm…Rae? Ben and I broke up nearly three weeks ago," she said.

Raven's large eyes blinked owlishly a couple of times. "…oh…" was all she could manage. All this time she thought Chelsea had been staying out late with Ben and that she had spent spring break with him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Chelsea apologized. "I felt so guilty about the whole thing."

"Is he okay?" Raven asked. She felt guilty, too.

"I think so. I know it really hurt him though."

Raven looked at Chelsea's hand held in her own. Slowly, she rubbed their palms together and interlaced their fingers. "Well, in that case, maybe we should just try and be normal around each other," she said. "…and as long as we're both comfortable…whatever happens…happens."

Chelsea could feel her pulse rising as she looked at Raven. "Okay," she agreed softly. "So, I guess I should get ready for class."

"I'll wait for you," Raven smiled. She watched as Chelsea made her way to the bathroom and couldn't help it as her face broke into a grin.

* * *

It was strange how a person could go from being on the verge of depression to as happy as they had ever been in such a short time.

Raven and Chelsea were slowly, but surely, able to be normal around each other again and Raven was pleasantly surprised when Chelsea had initiated some of the more intimate touches. They still had yet to share anymore kisses, but handholding and pecks on the cheek were frequent and savored.

One night, they lay curled up together on Raven's bed watching television. Raven lay spooned behind Chelsea, her arm loosely draped over the redhead's waist. Chelsea's hand was on top hers, occasionally rubbing it softly and lacing their fingers. Chelsea turned her head slightly to face Raven when she heard her yawning. "Sleepy?" she asked.

"Mmhm," Raven nodded as she tightened her grip on Chelsea's waist and buried her face into thick red hair.

"Well, I guess we should get to bed. We both have an early day tomorrow," Chelsea said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Raven agreed. She slowly untangled herself and made her way to the bathroom for her nightly rituals. When she returned, the television was off and Chelsea had moved to her own bed, but she hadn't climbed in yet. "Chels, why aren't you in bed? I would have gotten the lights," Raven said as she set her alarm clock.

"I know…I just wanted to say goodnight," Chelsea said as she stood from her bed.

Raven turned to face her and could see she was nervous. Chelsea reached for Raven's hands and the dark haired girl immediately held them out to her.

"Would it be okay if I kissed you?" Chelsea asked softly as they stood front to front.

All Raven could do was nod as her heart thumped in her chest. Her eyes drifted closed as Chelsea's lips found hers and what started off as slow lip pecks, quickly turned into long, deep, drugging sweeps of the tongue as they tasted one another. Raven thought she might faint from the feel of it all and pressed herself closer to Chelsea. She couldn't stop the sheer moan of pleasure that escaped her and when the need to breath became too strong to ignore, both girls pulled apart, panting.

"Chels, how am I possibly supposed to go to sleep after a kiss like that?" Raven said as she rested her forehead against Chelsea's.

The redhead smiled as her hands caressed Raven's hips. She answered by leaning in again. Mouths immediately opened to one another and they continued kissing for what seemed like forever. This time it was Raven who broke the kiss, lips pulling apart with a soft smack. "We should stop," she panted, looking at Chelsea, "Or we might not be able to."

Chelsea nodded, just as affected by the kiss. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before opening them again. "Goodnight, Rae," she said with goofy smile.

Raven was sure her smile looked just as silly. "Night, Chels," she returned softly.

They backed away to their separate beds, hands and fingers staying connected for as long as possible. It was a long time before either of them fell asleep that night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Stronger Than Before**

Chapter 8

The next morning was more of the same.

Both girls were ready for the day, but book bags and purses had slid to the floor as their goodbye kiss quickly began to spin out of control. Chelsea's fingers were buried in Raven's beautiful, silky hair as they kissed and kissed.

Raven's hands caressed down Chelsea's sides as she finally pulled away. "Chels…we have to stop and get to class or we'll be late," she said, her face buried in the redhead's neck.

"I know," Chelsea agreed as she hugged Raven to her. She felt guilty for thinking it in light of her recent breakup with Ben, but never before had kissing someone felt as good as when she kissed Raven. Maybe it was because it was new or maybe it was because her feelings for Raven were so strong, but she never wanted to stop.

Raven lifted her head from Chelsea's shoulder and kissed her again softly. "If we don't leave now, we're going to fail all of our classes," she said in between kisses. "We'll completely flunk our freshman year and then we'll have to tell everyone it was because we couldn't stop kissing."

Chelsea smiled against Raven's lips as she spoke. One last kiss and she forced herself to pull away. Her hand came up to Raven's mouth and she wiped away some of the smeared lipstick with her thumb, smiling when Raven did the same for her.

"Is this what it felt like for you…when we went camping?" Chelsea asked softly as she looked into beautiful hazel eyes.

Raven gave a gentle smile at the question. "Well, I definitely knew it felt like something stronger than just friendship," she said. "It was like being given a tiny sample of the best thing you've ever tasted." Raven was completely charmed by the blush that arose in Chelsea's cheeks. She couldn't resist another light peck to her lips.

Both girls stooped down to pick up their forgotten bags and finally left their room. They held hands in the elevator and Chelsea walked Raven to her car.

Raven placed her bags in the backseat and turned around to face Chelsea. "Well, I hope you have a great day," she said.

Chelsea stepped closer and smiled. "It's already pretty great."

Raven grinned. Initially, she thought Chelsea might be too scared to actually pursue any sort of relationship with her based on her behavior after the kisses they had shared, but ever since they had expressed their feelings to one another, she was surprised at how quickly Chelsea seemed to warm up to everything.

"Will you have lunch with me later?" Raven asked as she took a hold of Chelsea's hand.

Chelsea nodded. "Antonio's?"

Raven smiled. "Sounds good." She brought Chelsea's hand up and kissed the back of it before finally getting into her car.

Chelsea stood back as she rolled the window down and backed out of her spot. "See you later, Chels," she said, slowly driving away.

"Be careful," Chelsea called to her. She sighed as Raven got further and further away, completely love-struck.

* * *

One day, Chelsea and Raven strolled through campus, arms linked. It was a beautifully warm evening and there were a few other people walking about.

"Chels?"

"Hm?" the redhead asked as they continued along.

"Would it bother you if people knew we were together?" Raven asked gently. It was something that had been on her mind for a while now. They hadn't participated in any public displays of affection beside that of two close friends and they easily got away with more because they were women. She wasn't quite ready to scream it from the rooftops, but she didn't want to hide forever either. Everything was still so new for both of them and she enjoyed that they had the privacy to figure everything out on their own without prying questions from friends and family.

"Well," Chelsea began slowly. "I don't think I'm ready for everyone to know yet," she said honestly, "But eventually I want to be able to hug and kiss you hello and goodbye just like any other couple would do. Right now, I like that things are just between us, but I don't want it to be that way all the time."

"My thoughts exactly," Raven smiled.

* * *

One Friday evening, Raven lounged in bed in a plain white t-shirt and a pair of navy blue sweatpants, the school logo stamped on one leg. It was fashion week and the television was turned to the style channel. Chelsea sat at her desk trying to get an early start on some of her work.

"Chels, look at that dress she's wearing! I can't believe they made that girl wear ruffles," Raven criticized loudly of the woman strutting down the runway.

Chelsea rolled her eyes. They had existed in this fashion for over an hour now. She'd barely even gotten a decent hello kiss before Raven had quickly changed out of her clothes and turned on the TV. She supposed those were the consequences of being with someone who was obsessed with fashion. Somehow, the TV seemed to get louder and louder and Chelsea's frustration was getting worse and worse. If Raven asked her to look at the television screen one more time…

"No they did _not_ put her in green and yellow! Chels, look…"

"Raven!" Chelsea interrupted loudly as she stood from her desk. She almost laughed at the look of terror in Raven's eyes. "In case you didn't notice, I'm trying to study over here," she said, gesturing to her laptop.

Raven's large eyes looked completely innocent. "My bad," she said softly.

Chelsea couldn't contain her smile and moved closer to the bed. Raven squealed indignantly as the remote was snatched from her hand and the television put on mute.

Raven watched with wide eyes as Chelsea climbed onto her bed. She was wearing a white t-shirt with the schools logo printed across the chest and a pair of green sleep shorts. Her breathing stopped as Chelsea straddled her and settled comfortably against her hips. "What are you gonna do?" she asked breathily, slightly afraid and eager at the same time.

"I'm gonna shut you up," Chelsea said before leaning down and giving her a long, slow kiss.

Raven gave in willingly and opened her mouth as Chelsea's tongue massaged her own. Her hands came to rest on the smooth thighs surrounding her and she moaned loudly as Chelsea did something particularly interesting with her tongue.

Chelsea was fully aware of the contact between their bodies. Her breasts pressed against Raven's and she gladly surrendered when Raven took control of the kiss. She could feel soft hands massaging her thighs before finally coming to settle on her hips. Both of them pulled away for air and Raven's kisses traveled down her jawline to her neck. "Am I too heavy?" Chelsea panted.

"No," Raven said between kisses. "You feel good." Fashion week was completely forgotten.

Raven's tongue and lips worked at a particularly sensitive spot on her neck and Chelsea couldn't help it as her hips rolled deeply into Raven's. Both girls moaned and lips met again eagerly. As Chelsea, once again, became lost in the feel of Raven's kisses, she became even more flushed as she realized that this was the vision Ben had described to her. An inkling of guilt came to her at the thought of Ben having seen her on top of Raven, kissing her with so much passion, but it was pushed away at the feel of Raven's touch.

Raven smoothed her hands firmly down Chelsea's sides, fingertips following the curve of a firm behind. When her hands came back up, they slid underneath Chelsea's t-shirt to caress the smooth skin of her back. She broke their kiss suddenly when Chelsea shrieked into her mouth. Raven looked concerned as Chelsea fell onto her side next to her, but breathed a sigh of relief when she realized Chelsea was laughing.

She had touched Chelsea's tickle spot.

Raven turned on her side to face Chelsea and moved the hair out of her face. "Chels, how are we ever gonna make love if I always have to worry about your tickle spot," Raven said. Chelsea's laughter quickly ceased and she looked at Raven intently.

Realizing what she had said, Raven suddenly turned shy. "I mean…that is, umm…if you want to," she said, her eyes cast down as she fiddled with a lock of Chelsea's hair.

Chelsea was charmed as she moved her hand to Raven's chin and tilted it up until she was facing her again. "I want to," she said softly. "I want to do all of the things that people in love do."

Raven had to take a deep, calming breath at the look in Chelsea's eyes. The butterflies in her stomach refused to settle down. "I want that, too," she said finally. "But we should probably take things slowly."

Chelsea nodded and leaned in to kiss Raven softly.

"Besides," Raven said, brushing her nose against Chelsea's, "This bed is entirely, too small for the things I want to do with you."

Brown eyes widened and a slow grin broke out on Chelsea's face. "You've thought about…_things_?" Raven's skin was a beautiful shade of brown, but Chelsea could clearly see her blushing.

"I have," she admitted, even though she could feel her cheeks getting hot.

"So have I," Chelsea confessed softly, deciding to let Raven off the hook.

Raven leaned in for yet another kiss and it quickly became heated once again. She knew they needed to go slow, but it wasn't going to be easy.

Lips pulled apart with a resounding smack when there was a loud knock at the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Raven asked, brow furrowed. Chelsea nodded. The knocking came again and both girls scrambled from the bed, straightening their clothes.

"Who is it?" Raven called loudly.

"Pizza delivery!" came the response.

"Maybe they just got the wrong room," Chelsea shrugged.

Raven cautiously opened the door and both girls gasped in surprise when they saw the grinning face of Eddie Thomas.

* * *

The three best friends hugged tightly and even cried as they were united once again.

"Eddie, what are you doing here?" Raven said as she wiped away a few tears.

"Can't a guy stop by and surprise his two best friends," Eddie smiled.

Chelsea rested her head on his shoulder and put an arm around his waist. "It's been way, too, long," she said. "Do you know how much we've missed you?"

"I've missed you guys, too," he said, holding out his other arm to gather Raven to his side again. He had made plenty of new friends since moving to New York for college, but there would never be two better friends than Chelsea and Raven. "So, what have you guys been up to?" he asked excitedly, moving to sit in one of the chairs at the desk. He noticed that they were dressed for lounging and looked at his watch. "Don't tell me you guys have turned into old maids," he teased. "It's only 8:30 and it's a Friday. Let's go out and do somethin'!"

"What do you want to do?" Raven shrugged.

"I know!" Chelsea said excitedly.

Raven and Eddie looked at each other before finally catching on. "Bowling!"

* * *

Chelsea watched from her seat next to Eddie as Raven took her turn. The bright pink ball rolled slowly down the aisle and veered dangerously toward the gutter, but managed to stay on the lane and knock down a couple of pins. "Good job, Rae!" Chelsea said as Raven turned around with a happy squeal.

"Did you see that, Chels?" she said excitedly. "It didn't even go in the gutter this time!" She high-fived the redhead and took her place next to Eddie as Chelsea went to take her turn. "So, what's up with you, Eddie?" she asked, turning her grinning face to him. "I can barely get you any more when I try to call," she said.

"I know. I'm sorry. Between work and classes, I barely have time for anything. I'm gonna do better about calling though. I promise," he smiled.

"No worries, dude. I know exactly how you feel," she said, putting an arm around him.

Eddie looked at Chelsea to see that she was waiting on her ball to return so she could try and pick up a spare. "So, what's up with, Chels?" he asked. "How are things between her and Ben?"

Raven stiffened slightly at the question. "Umm…" She was saved from answering by Chelsea whoop of excitement as she picked up her spare.

"Go, Chel-sea!" Eddie yelled as he stood up to take his turn.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into Chelsea as she sat down next to her. "Chels, we gotta figure out what to say to, Eddie. He just asked me about you and Ben."

"What did you tell him?" she asked, slightly worried.

"I didn't tell him anything, but he's probably gonna ask again," Raven said.

"Well, I'll just have to tell him that we broke up."

"He's going to want to know why."

"I'm sure I can come up with something until we figure out how to tell him about us," Chelsea said.

Their conversation was cut short as Eddie finished his turn.

* * *

After bowling, the three went out to eat and then returned to the room. Eddie was glad to sleep on the floor, but Raven and Chelsea wouldn't have it, insisting that they could share and he could have Chelsea's bed.

Not even bothering to change clothes, Eddie kicked off his boots and lay down on top of the blankets to sleep, tired from his trip. Raven and Chelsea took turns in the bathroom before crawling into Raven's bed and snuggling together.

A little while later, Chelsea lifted her head from where it was buried against Raven's back to check the clock. It was nearly two a.m. Her head dropped back down and she sighed. "Rae, you awake?" she whispered.

"Are you kidding, Chels?" Raven said as she readjusted so she was facing Chelsea in the dark. "Eddie snores like a car with a bad muffler. The whole floor is probably awake."

Chelsea shook with silent laughter at Raven's joke. She scooted closer until they were sharing a pillow, her forehead touching Raven's. "So, what are we gonna tell him?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," Raven answered. Sometimes, Eddie could be unpredictable, unreasonable even. "Maybe we should just say it. There's not a lot we can do to predict his reaction. He'll either be mad at us or happy for us."

"I guess you're right," Chelsea said, knowing how Eddie could be. "We should probably try and get to sleep," she sighed.

Raven wondered how that was even possible with Eddie's snoring when she suddenly had a bright idea. Leaning over Chelsea, causing the girl to roll onto her back, she reached into the nightstand and pulled out a box of earplugs.

"Great idea!" Chelsea said as she took the pair that was handed to her.

"Goodnight, Chels," Raven said, looking down at her.

"Night, Rae." Chelsea closed her eyes as Raven leaned in for a kiss. Neither were worried that Eddie would see them. The room was dark and beside that, a break in the snoring would have alerted them to his wakefulness. Both girls put the ear plugs in and tried to get some rest.


	9. Chapter 9

**Stronger Than Before**

Chapter 9

Eddie woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed. It was probably one of the best night's sleep he'd had in a long time and he knew it had something to do with the fact that he was with his best friends.

Standing from the bed, Eddie stretched with a groan and stepped back into his boots. Although the blinds were closed, there was still plenty of sunlight shining through. He looked over at the girls snuggled on Raven's bed and laughed as he noticed the bright yellow ear plugs. Raven was lying on her back and Chelsea was snuggled up next to her with an arm around her waist and her head pillowed on Raven's shoulder. He smiled at the sight, knowing how close they always were and glad to see that nothing had changed.

Having left his overnight bag in his rental car, Eddie decided that he would grab a shower later. He left the room quietly to go and get food, wanting to surprise the girls with breakfast in bed.

* * *

"So, when are you guys gonna come visit me?" Eddie asked later as they walked slowly through campus.

"We should plan it for this summer," Chelsea said.

"Yeah," Raven agreed. "Miss Donna promised to give me some time off this summer."

"Cool! So it's a plan," Eddie said, smiling.

Raven and Chelsea glanced at one another. It was now or never.

"Let's sit here for a minute," Chelsea said. They came to a bench that overlooked one of the more grassy areas of campus. There were a few ornamental trees and groups of flowers landscaping the area.

Once they were seated, Raven began. "Eddie, there's something Chelsea and I need to tell you."

"Okay," he said none the wiser.

"Well…Raven and I…"Chelsea began.

"Wait!" Eddie yelled, cutting her off, "Please don't tell me it something bad like you had a vision of me losing my job or something," he said, his eyes wide.

"Eddie, no," Raven smiled. "It's nothing like that at all. It's good news."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Eddie, Raven and I are in a relationship…together…romantically," Chelsea finally said. She grabbed Raven's hand and held onto it tightly so there would be no misunderstanding as to what she meant. They both became nervous as he sat there in silence.

Eddie's face slowly broke out into a grin as he began laughing. "You guys are trying to trick me aren't you? You almost had me!"

"Eddie, it's not a joke," Raven said, shaking her head. "We figured out that we were in love. It was an accident really," she said softly, smiling at Chelsea.

Eddie looked at them completely shocked. "And how long has this been going on?"

"I guess you could say it developed over the last few months," Chelsea answered.

"Then how come you guys are only just now telling me?" Eddie asked, brow furrowed.

"Eddie, please, don't start trippin'," Raven pleaded. "We only just figured it out for ourselves."

Eddie sighed. "Does anyone else know?"

"We've been keeping it to ourselves…" Raven began.

"Actually, Rae," Chelsea interrupted, turning her attention away from Eddie, "I kind of forgot to mention…Ben knows."

Raven's eyes went wide. "He had a vision?" Chelsea nodded. "What did he see?"

"Ummm…" Chelsea's eyes darted back and forth between Raven and Eddie. "I'll tell you later," she said with a sheepish grin.

"So, only Ben knows?" Eddie confirmed.

Raven went still as she realized something. "Uh, actually…my mom knows."

"What!" Chelsea and Eddie said at the same time.

"It just sort of happened!" Raven explained quickly. "She knew that I was upset about something and I told her that I had feelings for you…" she said, her voice trailing off shyly.

Eddie watched them, completely lost in each other's eyes. He stood up from the bench suddenly. "Look guys, I'm gonna walk around for a little bit. I'll catch up with y'all later."

Raven and Chelsea watched him go with worried eyes.

"Well, that went…I don't know how that went," Raven sighed.

"Do you think he's okay?" Chelsea asked.

"I don't know. As much as I want to have his blessing, we're the ones that have to be okay with it."

Chelsea nodded. "Come sit in the grass with me," she said as she tugged Raven's hand.

"In the grass?" Raven questioned with a look of disgust on her face. "In this outfit?"

Chelsea laughed as she pulled a reluctant Raven to a shady spot.

* * *

Eddie walked around for a while trying to wrap his head around the news his friends had shared with him. Raven and Chelsea were a couple now. What did that mean for their friendship? It had always been the Three Amigos and now he felt like he was the only one left. Would visits be awkward now?

As he circled back to where he had left them sitting, he noticed that the bench was empty. Looking around, he spotted them a short ways away. They were sitting in the grass, legs akimbo, facing each other, close enough that their knees were touching. Chelsea said something and Raven laughed.

Even though they were his best friends, Eddie never failed to notice how beautiful they were as women and he had to admit that they looked beautiful together. They were complete opposites, but somehow they complemented one another and always had.

Eddie's eyes grew wide as they leaned in close to each other, but he laughed when he saw that they only pressed their foreheads together. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to them.

"Chelsea, get it off!" he heard Raven shriek as he got closer.

"Rae, calm down. It's just an ant," the redhead laughed as she flicked it away.

"If Raven is sitting in the grass in _that_ outfit then it must be love," Eddie joked as he sat down next to them. Both girls smiled at him brightly. "Well, I can't say that all of this isn't surprising, but if you guys are happy then I'm happy for you," he said. A few seconds later, he was tackled to the ground with hugs by his two favorite girls.

* * *

Eddie's visit had come and gone and, although they were sad to part, they were all excited about their plans for the summer and life in general.

Raven entered the room one day to see Chelsea resting on her own bed. An arm was slung over her eyes and her legs were crossed at the ankle.

"Chels, you awake?" Raven asked softly as she sat on the edge of the bed. The redhead grunted. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Just tired," she said, removing her arm and looking at her dark haired beauty.

"Why aren't you laying in my bed?"

"Lying in your bed is what got me into this mess," Chelsea huffed.

Raven couldn't contain a laugh. "Sweetie, you talk as if I got you pregnant."

"I think you were trying to," she giggled, referring to last night. She and Raven had made out late into the night and that led to some very intimate touching.

"But it felt good, didn't it?" Raven said softly as her hand ran the length of Chelsea's smooth thigh, fingertips inching higher underneath the skirt she wore.

"Mmm…Rae, we have to control ourselves," Chelsea said even though she found herself reaching for Raven, pulling her down for a kiss.

Raven broke their kiss after a few minutes and stood from the bed. "Okay," she said with a deep breath. Chelsea collapsed back into the bed with a groan. "Maybe we should go and have dinner."

Chelsea groaned for a different reason this time. "I'm so tired, Rae. I don't even feel like moving. I wish we had our own place so we could just cook and have dinner at home sometimes," she said, closing her eyes.

"Maybe we could," Raven said.

"Rae, we don't even have paying jobs."

"Actually," Raven said, taking her seat next to Chelsea again. "Miss Donna has been talking about making my internship a paid one. It's about time anyway."

"Really? That's great!" Chelsea said, sitting up.

"Either way, I'll still be working for her, so I'd have to find someplace to stay for the summer anyway," Raven explained. Her dad and brother had moved, so going home wasn't an option anymore.

"I could look for a job and we could split the rent," Chelsea smiled, warming up to the idea. It would definitely beat staying with her parents for the summer.

"Chels, it would be so cool! I could make my mac and cheese for you," Raven smiled as she leaned in for a light smooch. "We would have complete privacy…a bigger bed."

Chelsea laughed against Raven's lips. "That's the most important thing," she joked and then she gasped. "Rae, we could even get a dog!"

"Figures you'd want a little nasty running around," Raven sighed as she looked at Chelsea adoringly. She could ask for an elephant right now and Raven would do everything in her power to get it.

"You don't think we're moving too fast, do you?" Chelsea asked, her eyes searching Raven's.

"I don't think so," she said, brushing some hair away from Chelsea's face. "We've known each other for nearly our entire lives and our friendship has stood the test of time. Even the hard times," she smiled. "I know that this is new for both of us, but there's no doubt in my mind how I feel about you, Chels. I love you and I want us to always be together."

Chelsea was on the verge of tears. "I love you, too, Rae," she said pulling her into a tight hug. "So much."

* * *

The semester continued and plans were put into motion for finding an apartment. Chelsea looked for jobs every day and had even applied for some paid internships. It didn't take long for Donna Cabonna to make her decision about promoting Raven. Now, she was _truly_ a working girl and she had more important responsibilities than sharpening pencils or cleaning up after Donna's dog, Coco.

Chelsea entered the room excitedly one day to find Raven sitting at her desk. "Rae, guess what?"

Raven smiled at her girl's excitement. "What?"

"I got an interview for one of the paid internships. The one at the zoo!"

"Chels, that's great!" Raven said as she stood up to give her a hug. "When's the interview?"

"Day after tomorrow," Chelsea grinned.

"This calls for an emergency wardrobe consultation!" Raven grabbed Chelsea's hand and pulled her over to the closet.

* * *

The next night, Chelsea lay in Raven's bed blowing her fingernails dry and watching television. One leg hung off the bed and the other was bent at the knee, foot lying flat on the bed as Raven painted her toenails.

"Girl, if you wiggle these toes one more time…" Raven threatened from her place at the foot of the bed.

"I'm sorry, but it tickled," Chelsea smiled.

"Just how many tickle spots do you have?" Raven asked as she continued to concentrate on her task. She missed the saucy smile that spread across Chelsea's lips.

"Maybe one day you'll find out," Chelsea flirted.

Raven's lips twisted to the side as she fought a smile. "Dude, I'm not even listening to you right now."

Chelsea laughed and continued watching television.

* * *

The next morning, Chelsea was dressed to the nines and ready for her interview.

"Rae," she panted as she managed to free her lips. "I think your good luck kiss is backfiring," she said even though she closed her eyes for Raven to kiss her again.

Raven pulled away reluctantly. "Okay, okay…I don't want you to be late," she said as she wiped at the smeared lipstick on Chelsea's mouth. "Maybe you should redo your lipstick before you go." Raven watched as Chelsea made her way to the bathroom and sighed. She was completely in love.

* * *

Raven thought about Chelsea all day, wondering how her interview went. The redhead had called a few minutes ago and told her to meet her by one of the benches near the student union, but Raven couldn't tell much from her tone of voice.

A short while later Chelsea arrived and sat down next to her. "Well," she sighed heavily.

"Chels…" Raven said worried.

"I got the job!" Chelsea yelled.

Raven let out a high pitch squeal of delight and immediately pulled her into a tight hug.

* * *

"Now, we can really start looking for apartments," Chelsea said as they walked back to their room.

"It's gonna be so much fun!" Raven said with a grin. There were only a few more weeks of school left before summer break and she would need a place to move into immediately. Her hours would be fulltime during the summer and she imagined Chelsea's would be, too. "I can't believe you got a paid internship just like that."

"I know. Isn't it great?" Chelsea beamed. "I can't wait to get a dog!"

Raven rolled her eyes. "We're gonna have an entire apartment all to ourselves and you're most excited about getting a dog?"

"Well, that's not _all_ I'm excited about," she said, smiling saucily.

They had finally reached their floor and Raven couldn't help but admire her girl as she walked in front of her. "Chels, you are totally rockin' that skirt," she complimented as she admired the curvy hips from behind.

Chelsea turned around and slowly walked backwards down the hall in front of Raven. She was wearing a black pencil skirt, black stilettos and sleeveless white blouse, and, of course, the necklace Raven had given her. "Well, I'd better be. You picked it out for me." She reached out for Raven's hand and pulled her closer. The hallway was deserted and she slowed her steps as Raven got nearer. Just as their lips were about to meet, the girls jumps apart at the sound of a deep voice.

"Raven?"

Chelsea slowly turned around to see the face of the unbelievably handsome Devon Carter.


	10. Chapter 10

**Stronger Than Before**

Chapter 10

Raven was frozen in place as she looked past Chelsea with wide eyes and down the hallway at Devon. Apparently, he was none the wiser about the fact that she and Chelsea had been a split second away from kissing, judging by the grin that broke out on his face.

Chelsea took a step to the side as Devon began making his way toward them. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest as he bypassed her altogether and pulled Raven into a hug. Jealously like she'd never felt it before flared up when he pulled back just enough to plant a deep kiss on her mouth. That jealousy quickly turned into anger when she realized Raven wasn't pulling away.

Not trusting herself to speak and certainly not wanting to see anymore, she quickly walked the short distance to their room where Devon had been waiting and let herself in. Her hand shook as she fumbled with the key. When the door was finally open, she entered the room quickly, not daring to glance back.

Raven was pulled from her stupor by the sound of the door slamming. She immediately pulled back from Devon and looked past him to see that Chelsea was gone.

"Baby, it's so good to see you," Devon said, pulling her into another hug.

"Devon, what are you doing here?" Raven asked. She was worried about Chelsea, but she couldn't completely ignore Devon either.

"Well, I felt so guilty about cancelling our visit that I thought I'd make it up to you and surprise you," he smiled, bringing her hand up for a kiss.

Raven returned his smile as best she could, but there were so many thoughts going through her mind that she couldn't concentrate.

"So, I was thinking that maybe we could hang out while I'm in town. It's been so hard without you," Devon said, looking into her eyes.

"Umm…I was actually supposed to do something with Chelsea tonight, but…would you wait for me while I go and check with her?" Raven asked, desperate to get to her girl.

"No problem," Devon smiled as he leaned in for another kiss.

Raven quickly turned her cheek to him and smiled tightly as she hurried to the room.

Chelsea was sitting at her desk, seemingly engrossed in something on her laptop when Raven entered. She quickly began scrolling through the screen, not wanting Raven to realize that she had just been staring.

"So, how is Devon?" she asked with a weak smile.

"Chelsea, I'm so sorry," Raven said desperately. "I didn't mean to let that happen…I was shocked." In the midst of her newfound love for Chelsea, she had actually forgotten all about Devon. It had been months since she'd seen him and after he cancelled his visit, she figured it would be a very long time before she actually saw him again. Considering she had been questioning how she felt about him anymore anyway, it hadn't been all that hard to forget. "Please say something," Raven said softly, on the verge of tears.

Chelsea wanted to hang on to her anger, but she couldn't. She could see the regret in Raven's eyes and she knew she was sincere. Standing, she faced Raven, who immediately reached for her hands and pulled her closer.

"It's okay," Chelsea said softly.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief. "He's waiting for me in the hall. I'll tell him right now." She was terrified to do so, but she knew it had to be done.

"Maybe you shouldn't tell him yet," Chelsea said.

"What?!"

Chelsea took a deep breath, forcing herself to speak. "Raven, it wasn't all that long ago that you were debating whether or not you still loved him…maybe now is your chance to figure it out once and for all," she said, hating every word she just spoke. "Maybe you should spend some time with him."

"Chelsea, no!" Raven said firmly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I love you and I want to be with you," she said as a tear fell down her face.

"I love you, too…you know I do," Chelsea said sadly as she smoothed a hand down Raven's face. "But we're about to move in to an apartment together and start the rest of our lives together. You owe it to yourself to make sure you don't have any feelings left for Devon." Raven tried to argue, but Chelsea cut her off. "Rae, I know you and I know how much you loved him. Those feelings don't just go away."

"And how is this any different from you and Ben?" Raven asked angrily. She didn't understand why Chelsea was doing this.

"I didn't love Ben the way I was supposed to. If one small kiss from you could make me forget about him then there was never any contest. It was hard to hurt Ben like that, but I don't regret it," Chelsea explained. "Devon hasn't even had a chance."

"How is this fair to you, Chels?"

"This way there'll never be any regrets. You'll never have to wonder if letting him go was the right decision."

Raven closed her eyes and shook her head. This was crazy. How dare Chelsea ask her to do this?

"Rae, I love you," Chelsea cried as she rested her head against Raven's, "But we have to know."

A few minutes passed and Raven took a deep breath before pulling Chelsea into a deep kiss. It seemed to go on forever, but in reality it was only a few minutes before Raven pulled away.

"Fine. I'll go with him," she said, her voice strong as she regained her composure. "But I'll be back, Chelsea Ophelia Daniels, and you'll see that you're wrong."

Chelsea watched as Raven left the room, the door closing loudly behind her. Her tears came immediately and she collapsed onto Raven's bed, her face buried in a pillow. She had just sent Raven into Devon's arms and all she wanted to do was run after her and say forget the whole thing. Raven said she had been shocked when Devon kissed her, but seeing it made Chelsea question whether or not Raven was really over him. They had to know for sure if they were going to be together.

* * *

It was hard not to think about Chelsea the entire time, but a part of Raven knew that she was right. What she had with Devon had been more special than anything she'd ever had with any other guy. It was hard for her to acknowledge it in light of what she felt for Chelsea, but maybe he did deserve a chance. At the very least, she would do it to prove to Chelsea that she was who Raven wanted to be with.

After dinner at _Antonio's_, she and Devon walked hand in hand through campus. He told her about school and his family and she listened quietly.

"Rae, I've missed you so much," Devon said as he stopped to pull her into a hug.

Raven laid her head against his chest. It was nice, but it didn't invoke the same feelings that it used to. She didn't want to do this anymore. "Devon?" she said softly. He pulled back to look at her. "I need to tell you something."

"Okay, but first, I have a surprise for you," he smiled as he pulled her over to a bench. "Look, Rae, I know that it's been hard with us being so far away from each other, but I don't want to lose you," Devon said.

Raven went completely still as he pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket.

"It's a promise ring," he said as he opened the box to reveal a silver band with her birthstone inlayed. "So you'll always remember that I love you." Taking the ring out of the box, he grabbed her hand. "I can't imagine anyone else being my girl, Rae."

* * *

Chelsea lay in her own bed, staring into the dark. Raven had been gone for a few hours and her tears had only just stopped.

Her heart nearly leapt from her chest when she heard the key in the lock and the door opening. The desk lamp came on and she closed her eyes tightly, afraid of what was going to happen next.

"Chels?" Raven said softly as she sat on the bed. "Chels, wake up."

Slowly, Chelsea turned over until she was facing Raven. "I'm up," she said, unable to look at her.

"I told him," Raven said as she reached out to run her hand through Chelsea's hair. "I told him that I couldn't be with him anymore because I had fallen in love with you. He was devastated and it was hard to hurt him like that because I'll always care about him," Raven said as her eyes moistened with tears, "But I don't regret it."

She had stopped him before he could put the ring on her finger. There was a time when she would have been ecstatic at receiving a gift like that from Devon, but those feelings just weren't there anymore.

Chelsea closed her eyes as relieved tears spilled down her face.

"All I could think about was you," Raven continued as she smoothed away Chelsea's tears, "And how much I wanted to be here with you." She felt the redhead tug her arm and she leaned down to kiss her. It was a frantic kiss, full of relief and reassurance. "Chelsea, don't ever ask me to do something like that again," Raven lightly scolded as she lay down fully next to her, one leg straddling her body.

"I'm sorry, Rae," Chelsea breathed in between kisses. "Never again."

"You're my girlfriend, my sweetie, my boo, my honey, my plus one," Raven said as she kissed a trail down to Chelsea's neck, smiling when the redhead giggled. "I don't want anyone else…ever."

Chelsea guided her face back up, her tongue delving deep into Raven's mouth. Every time they kissed, it felt like she fell a little more in love with her and she was sure that one day she would simply burst.

**The End.**


End file.
